Love Unsought
by Misst3k
Summary: My take on what happened after series finale "Fatal Vows". Keeping it light (for the most part), and working Matt and C.J. into each other's arms. Keeping it in the 1985 timeline (so no cellphones, laptops, etc.), but will be bring some songs from the future in because they make me happy. Not my characters, just taking them out of mothballs and putting them through their paces.
1. Chapter 1

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

The two lovers were out of breath. C.J. was trembling all over, with tears trickling from her eyes. Houston was gently kissing her tears away. She tried to speak, "I… I… didn't…" She shook her head and tried to start again, "Nnnnn… wa… mmm… I… not…"

He was getting a little concerned that she was still trembling and not able to form a coherent sentence, so he said, "You can keep the sweatshirt." Her trembling turned into a fit of giggles, and he giggled along with her.

Five and a half months earlier:

It was a deluge outside as C.J. ran from her car to Houston's condo at the marina. He had been gone for three weeks after Elizabeth had walked out on him. The "wedding that wasn't" being interrupted by a psycho serial killer freaked her out completely, and even though Houston had promised to give up being a PI for her, she realized that he was his job, and trouble would always follow him. He didn't say where he was going or how long he would be gone, but that he'd keep in touch. He hadn't called yet, but she figured he'd be gone a few months to nurse his wounded heart. The lawyer let herself in with her key and kicked her flats off at the door (not her usual footwear, but she didn't want to ruin any of her high heels in the rain), and left her handbag on the chair. She was wearing a pair of white cotton shorts and an embroidered, light blue cotton top; both were drenched and she muttered to herself, "This is why the umbrella should just stay in the car…" It was unusual for California to have rain storms at this time of year, but here it was anyway.

She made her way up the stairs and started shivering because the AC was turned down very low. She commented under her breath, "Is he going to hang meat in here?"

She didn't want to drip through the house on her-self appointed mission of checking on his house plants, so she went through the kitchen into the laundry room and started to strip, then stopped to look for something to put on. She spotted his old college sweatshirt, and after tossing all her clothes in the dryer, put it on. It hit her above the mid-thigh mark, but she didn't worry too much since no one was there to see her anyway. She grabbed a pair of his thick socks and put those on, too. His sweatshirt still had the scent of his cologne, and she sniffed it and sighed. She hoped that he was enjoying his time away, and that he would return safely, but for now she could enjoy the aroma of his cologne. After she grabbed a towel and squeezed the rainwater out of her hair, she gave her brown locks a quick tussle, then set out to do what she came there to do.

She walked to the living room and opened the curtains a bit, then looked in the corner at the plant that was wilting there. "Come on little guy, let's get you a drink, then I'll put you out on the patio. Not much sun today, but it'll be better than this dark room." She padded her way back to the kitchen to look for the watering can.

Houston, wearing sweats and a T-shirt, had wandered out from his bedroom when he heard C.J.'s voice. She hadn't noticed him as he made his way over and leaned in the doorway of the kitchen, and watched her open the cupboard, As she leaned down to get the watering can, his sweatshirt slid up her legs to reveal the curve of her posterior, which gave him a rush of feelings that he probably ought not to have for his best friend and business partner, but on the other hand, it was a _nice_ posterior. So he said, in a calm, even tone, "That's my sweatshirt you're wearing."

C.J. jumped and let out a startled yelp, "HOUSTON! Holy crap, you scared me!" She stood up straight and pulled the sweatshirt down.

"I don't know why you're surprised; I live here. And that's my sweatshirt you're wearing." He said in a bemused tone, while giving her a devilish grin. He started to wonder what she would do if he acted on his sudden impulse to kiss her, but he quickly suppressed that urge. Not the time, not yet.

She kept tugging the sweatshirt down her legs; she felt very exposed, and her cheeks reddened. "I came by to check on your plants." She couldn't believe her luck, him catching her in this state of undress, so she tried to change the subject. "When did you get back?"

He couldn't take his eyes off of her; she looked too damn sexy in his sweatshirt, "Last night. It was pretty late, so I didn't want to call and wake you." He paused and then said, "That's my sweatshirt you're wearing." He didn't add his thoughts on how alluring she looked wearing it though.

"I know," she said with a slight tone of exasperation, _'What is with him and this __dumb __sweatshirt?"_ she thought. But the way he was looking at her, was he thinking…? _"Nah"_, she thought. They were just friends, best friends, and nothing more. "I needed something to put on while my clothes are drying, and it is _cold_ in here."

He glanced quickly down at her chest and said, "I can see that. Your thermometers are up." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. Then he smirked as she went to cover her chest with her arms, but then realized the sweatshirt rode up when she did, so she went back to tugging it down her legs. "Heeey! Don't stretch it out!" His tone was almost like a little boy whining over someone taking his toy.

Incredulous, she snapped, "You've got to be _kidding_ me right now!" She glowered at him while she pulled it down more, deciding that covering her lower half was more important than him looking at her "thermometers". She was feeling more and more naked by the second.

He continued in a slightly whiny voice, "Stoooop, you're gonna stretch it."

She glowered at him, "Well, then go get me something to put on my lower half, ya big baby." She rolled her eyes as he walked away.

He shouted over his shoulder, "I heard that eye roll!" He laughed at her laughing at him. He had truly missed their banter since he had left three weeks ago. Then, the more he thought about it on his way to his room, it had been longer than that, really. Why didn't he see then how much he needed her playfulness in his life? Elizabeth was so serious and dramatic and downright dower pretty much _all_ the time, but C.J. was always so easy going and lighthearted even when she had been in the hospital after surgery to remove a bullet or two or three from her body. She could always make his day with her smile, and her laugh… Without thinking he went to the dresser and grabbed a pair of white cotton panties from his "guest" drawer, and as he was about to walk out of the room, he spotted something that made him grin.

As he positioned himself in the door way he tossed a roll of thick cotton string to her and she caught it one handed. She looked at it and said in an irritated voice, "Oh, ha-ha. You're hilllll-arious." She dropped the roll onto the floor and it spun away. She then narrowed her eyes at him and tugged the sweatshirt down even harder. That got his attention.

His eyes widened, "OK! OK! Stop stretching it!" So he pulled the panties out of his back pocket and tossed them to her, but she didn't attempt to catch them, they hit her in the chest, and then fell to the floor.

She looked at them, then looked up at him and asked in a flat tone, "Whose panties are those?" She set her jaw at the thought of who they belonged to. No way in HELL was she going to wear _her_ underwear for more reasons than one.

His eyes widened and he realized his error, "Ehrrr… Oh… Yeah, hold on." He walked back to his room and grabbed a pair of Christmas boxers that someone had given him, but he never wore, and returned to the kitchen, then tossed them to her and she caught them.

"Turn around," she ordered him. He waggled his eye brows at her before he did so. She said jokingly, "I'm surprised you're not worried about your socks."

He chuckled, "I've seen your bare feet many times. However, your bare…"

"Oh, stop!" she fussed at him, "Honestly!" She pulled them up, but they were too big for her so she had to hold them at the waistband so they wouldn't fall down. "Alright, you can turn around now." When he did, he smiled and chuckled. "What?" she asked slightly annoyed. Now she had her top and bottom covered, but she still felt naked in front of him.

"Don't think you're going to be able to water the plants AND hold up your britches." He spotted the string on the floor, and said, "Here let me tie them up for you." He walked over to where she was leaning against the counter, picked up the string and told her, "hold _my_ sweatshirt up a bit, will ya'?" She did and watched him as he pulled the waistband to one side to tie it off, but then he spied the scar on her abdomen, and paused. His mood changed suddenly, like a gust of wind had taken him to a dark place.

She sensed something had changed, but she wasn't sure what it was, so without looking up she softly said, "What?"

One of the many questions he had asked himself in the past three weeks came back to him in rush. He leaned his forehead down on hers, and whispered, "Why are you still here?"

She had a feeling the question was deeper than it appeared on the surface by the way his tone of voice changed. Hoping to lighten his mood, she whispered back, "Because… My clothes are still in the dryer."

He chuckled softly, lifted his head to give her a kiss on the forehead, and then rested his head on hers again, both of them looking down at her scar. With his left hand he found her right hip, with his other hand he gently traced her scar with his thumb, over and over while he spoke softly, "No… I mean, why are you still… working with me? You could be in a safe corporate environment or even working for the DA. Why would you want to stay in a job that's gotten you shot three times?" He didn't even mention the various other injuries and kidnappings.

She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. He knew why. She had told him minutes before before being shot for the second time, as they were making their escape from a building looking for evidence that would exonerate him from a murder charge. But he hadn't responded to her declaration of love the first time, and she didn't think this was the time to repeat herself. So she chose to tell him the other half of the truth and in a quiet voice said, "Because I'm the job… Just like you're the job... I like helping people. Doing the research. The field work. Catching the bad guys, so they can't hurt anyone ever again. I understand, maybe better than anyone, why you do what you do. I love helping you in your mission. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

He didn't respond right away. As he continued to stroke her scar, he struggled to say the next part, and so kept his voice low, "Your last gunshot wound… I was so… I really thought I was going to lose you." She put her hands on his arms and gently caressed them. The energy that passed between them was palpable. He continued, "I know you like the field work, but…" He shook his head, "I'm sorry if you felt like Uncle Roy replaced you…"

She interrupted, "It is O-K. He's one of the few family members you have left and you want to spend time with him. I get that. He has a lot of good connections that have helped. But I would be lying if I said that I didn't miss being out there with you."

His voice was choked with emotion, "The last time you were, you were almost blown up, and that was after the gunshot wound that almost claimed your life. I've lost so many people I care about. I just can't… lose you."

She smiled as she whispered, "In case you haven't figured it out; I'm kinda hard to lose, pal." He chuckled softly, and she gave his arms a squeeze and continued, "I don't want to lose you either, and it's been _real_ close a couple of times. But it's part of the job, not a fun part, but it's the risk we both are willing to take to help people. OK?"

They stood like that for a few minutes, him stroking her scar, her gently rubbing his arms, when he asked in the same soft tone, "Does it hurt you still?"

She decided to be honest with him, "Sometimes. They said they removed quite a bit of the scar tissue from the first…" She didn't like to say it. Whether it was "bullet wound" or "gunshot wound" they both had a ring to them that she wouldn't accept into her life – she was not going to be anyone's victim; she was a survivor. She swallowed hard then continued, "...time, while they were in there. The surgeon said I may need to have another surgery to remove the scar tissue from this last time if it causes me too much pain, but..." Her voice trailed off.

He finished her thought, "You don't want to be in the hospital again." He felt her head nod slightly. Neither one of them were "good little patients", so he understood her feelings on the matter completely. "Promise me if it ever gets too bad, you'll get it taken care of. I'll take you anywhere in the world you want to go to recover."

She pondered that last sentence. He had sent her to Hawaii alone to finish recovering the last time, which had its upsides… One rather tall, handsome upside… But Houston had just said, "I'll take you…" Would he really want to come along? She made herself stop trying to read anything into it. "I might take you up on that."

He tilted his head up and kissed her on the forehead again. "Good. Now, let's get this tied up so you can commence with the plant waterin'." They both giggled, and he got the boxers tied so they wouldn't fall down. He then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug that she willingly joined, and hugged him back resting her head on his chest. "Tell you what, after you finish watering the plants, why don't we watch the game? I'll make us some snacks…"

"Sounds good to me." She said with a big smile as she pulled back from the hug.

"Do you want a beer or wine or…" He left it as an open ended choice, since she knew what he kept in the house adult beverage-wise.

"I'll take white wine if you have it." She gave him a peck on the cheek then went to fill the watering can.

After she finished watering the plants and setting them outside for some light, she joined him on the brown leather sofa downstairs. She was close to him on his left side, but not close enough for his liking, so he put an arm around her and slid her so that their bodies were touching. He needed her close to him after everything that happened and his trip away. She smiled at him, and then leaned forward to grab her glass of wine. When she leaned back she rested her head on his shoulder. They watched the game while munching on nachos, an easy quiet between them. She wanted to ask him more about his trip, but knew he would tell her when he was ready.

She moved her foot up on to the couch, exposing an almost vertical bruise on her inner thigh. He looked at the deep purple mark and asked in a concerned voice, "How'd you get that?"

She didn't see what he was looking at so she asked, "Get what?"

He reached over and lightly touched the bruise, "That."

She hesitated, "Oh, that… Well…" She knew she couldn't lie to him, because ever since they were kids he could always spot her lies, but she could hedge the truth a bit, "Doc wanted to take up this new type of… dancing… It's… It works a lot on building your core muscles, flexibility… That sort of thing…" She hoped he wouldn't ask too many more questions. But she knew him too well.

He raised an eyebrow, "Dancing?" He didn't believe for one second that dancing was the reason.

"Yup." She gave him a quick sideways glance.

"That causes this…" he poked her purple mark and she flinched, "Sorry… this kind of bruising?"

"Yup." She shot him another glance and started to blush. As far as she was concerned she was never going to tell him, because he would never let her live it down if he knew.

The PI in him spotted a secret and he had to know more, so he began the methodical weeding out of the truth, "So, your friend, physician, and sorority sister, Carol, a.k.a. Doc, got you to take a dance class that causes that kind of injury? What did she say when she saw it?"

C.J. sighed, he was not going to let this go, "She said, and I quote, 'Suck it up, buttercup! No pain, no gain'." She wrinkled her nose while saying, "I'm thinking about switching doctors. Who do you go to?"

He laughed, "We go to the same one, when you can get me to go."

She grinned and said, "Damn…" In a vain effort to change the subject she said, "Oooo! Look at the score!" She pointed to the TV.

He didn't look; his gaze remained firmly fixed on her face looking for any tells. "Nice try. So what kind of dancing would leave a vertical bruise on a thigh…? Hmmm… I can two-step with the best of them, but never gave or received an injury like that. Salsa? Tango? No, can't be it..." He was looking at her intently while she avoided his gaze. Just then the buzzer on the dryer went off.

She hopped up quickly, setting her glass down, and said hurriedly, "Wup, dryer's done. Better go, don't want them to wrinkle." She beat a hasty retreat up the stairs.

He called out after her, "This isn't over! I will find out!" He could ask Doc, but then she'd want him to come in for a checkup to get the answer. Maybe as a last resort he'd consider it.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" She hollered over her shoulder. After she dressed, she put his sweatshirt back on because she was still cold, and because she was enjoying how it annoyed him. He seemed to be coming back to his former, fun self over this silly sweatshirt. She then rejoined him on the couch to watch the rest of the game.

He eyed her, "Don't try to steal that sweatshirt. I will call Hoyt and press charges if I have to."

She rolled her eyes and said, "Ya' gonna tell Uncle Roy on me, too?"

He narrowed his eyes, "I might. Let's hope it doesn't have to come to that."

"We can only hope." She said with a laugh. She snuggled next to him with his arm around her shoulder and they went back to watching the game. The rain had stopped and the sun came out. She commented, "Good, now your plants will get some much needed sun."

A while later, he looked over at her and said, "Can I run something by you?"

She wasn't sure if she was going to like this, so she asked suspiciously, "As your friend or your lawyer?"

He mused, "I think I might need both."

She looked at him, "Color me intrigued."

"I was thinking about buying my ranch back." He saw her raised eyebrows and said, "I've enjoyed being close to the water and learning how to sail, but… I'm really a cowboy at heart."

She smiled and enthused, "Yeah, ya' are." as she nudged him, then asked, "So what do you need me to do?"

He was happy she was on board with his sudden desire to get back to… himself. "Figure out what the fair market value is on the ranch, then make them a VERY generous offer to buy it."

She was thrilled that he wanted to move back to the ranch. He needed a place to get away from the action of L.A. He could ride his horses and get his mind off of things and refocus when he was on the ranch. This house didn't have the same effect on him, quite the opposite, really. She inquired, "Will I get to board my horse there again?"

He gave her a stern look, "I don't know. Not sure if I want a sweatshirt thief on the grounds."

She became mock indigent, "How have I stolen? Your honor, _my_ client hasn't even removed the sweatshirt in question from the premises, so HOW can it be stolen? Move for dismissal."

His stern look continued, "Overruled."

She retorted with, "Oh, bite me."

He bared his teeth and went for her shoulder as she laughed and pulled away. He caught her and pulled her back to him saying, "Settled down there counselor. So will you help me?"

Still laughing, she replied, "Of course, I will. I'll get started on Monday."

Feigning surprise he said, "Boy, I've been gone three weeks and you think you get an entire weekend off?"

She shook her head, "You know what? This sweatshirt is going home with me, if that's your attitude."

He laughed and said, "I will take that off you." as he reached for the hem.

"You can try, but Too Mean taught me some moves…" Her voice trailed off as his death hit her again. Hard. And out of nowhere. Her chin quivered, and she sadly intoned, "I miss him." A couple of tears rolled down her cheek, "His workouts were killer, but he was sweet, too."

Houston stopped and pulled her in for a hug, "I miss him too. He was a brave man." Thinking back on how Too Mean had sacrificed himself so that Houston could get his cousin, Will, out of a POW camp in Vietnam. He pulled her down next to him as he lay down on the couch, and she rested her head on his chest. They watched the rest of the game with their arms around each other, having been reminded that in their profession, life could be too short and not to overlook the little moments with each other.

She got up and walked over to put on her shoes with her purse in hand. He suddenly realized he was sad to see her leaving, but she had declined his offer for dinner, saying she had to get up early in the morning. She smiled at him and said, "Uncle Roy is coming over to my place tomorrow to show me how he makes Coq Au Vin. You want to join us?"

"I'd love to. Can I bring anything?" He replied happily as he walked over to her.

"Just yourself." She said with a wink, and then gave him a peck in the cheek, and was out the door.

"Oh! What time?" He almost forgot to ask as she was walking down to the sidewalk that lead to the parking lot.

"He's coming over about three to get started, but you can come over anytime you're ready." She said over her shoulder picking up her pace as she made her way down the sidewalk.

"I'll be there." He sighed as he watched her walk away. As he was closing the door he wondered if it was too soon to take that next step with her. She wouldn't want to think that she might be the "rebound" girl. He wouldn't want her to think that either. He also wouldn't want her to think that she was a "consolation prize" or "last resort". His time away, and tonight with her, had shown him that he had been fighting a losing and pointless battle with his feelings towards C.J. She was the one he wanted and needed to be with. More importantly, she was the one he loved. _"Maybe __I__ could tell her tomorrow? __No. __W__ait until after __I get the__ ranch back. Give it some time,"_ he thought.

Then it hit him, "Oh, shit! She's got my sweatshirt!" He ran out to try and catch her, but she was already pulling out onto the road and he could have sworn he heard her laugh.


	2. Chapter 2

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

The next afternoon, Houston, dressed in jeans and a button down shirt, let himself into C.J.'s house and called out, "C.J.?!"

She hollered to him, "In the kitchen!" She was about to find out who won the bet between her and Uncle Roy, which made her grin.

He could hear music playing and the sounds of chopping. He made his way to the kitchen, saw her watching Uncle Roy chopping onions, and asked her accusingly, "Where's my sweatshirt?"

She and Uncle Roy started laughing. Roy put down the knife, reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet and fished for a $100 bill. As he handed it to C.J. he said, "You do know him well."

She grinned as she took the money and put it in her jeans pocket, "Told ya'."

Houston looked dismayed, "You two were bettin' on me?"

"Yup." She said with a laugh.

He continued, "And you bet $100? I thought we had a $10 limit."

She looked him in the eyes and reminded him, "The ten dollar limit is your rule, not ours. And now I'm gonna buy some shoooes." She wiggled her body in a happy dance motion. She then put up her hand and said, "Before you ask again – it's in the laundry room."

He walked to the laundry room, shaking his head that they thought he could be that predictable, and found that it was laying flat on a drying rack. He folded it as he returned to the kitchen, and said sincerely, "You didn't have to wash it."

C.J., who was bent over at the waist, leaning on the counter with her elbows, making notes on a piece of paper, smiled and said, "I didn't want you complaining that I got my 'girl cooties' all over it."

He laughed, "C.J., we've know each other since we were kids; I'm pretty sure I'm immune to your 'girl cooties' by now." Then he turned and walked out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" She inquired.

"To put it in my car so you don't try to steal it again." He heard her and Uncle Roy laugh.

When he returned to the kitchen Uncle Roy stopped chopping, put the knife down, and leveled a look at him, "Boy, you have been gone for three weeks and you still haven't said, 'Hello' to me yet. I see I rank below your sweatshirt; it will be reflected in your Christmas gift this year." C.J. laughed the kind of laugh everyone who knew her loved to hear.

Houston grinned, "Sorry, Uncle Roy" and stepped over to shake his hand, "Good to see you." He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a beer, seeing that the other two already had drinks. "Anything I can do?" Just then Neil Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry" began playing and C.J. stood up straight and started moving in time to the music.

She smiled at him, motioned with her head "Come dance with me, Houston." She held her arms out and he stepped up to her after setting his beer on the counter, took her in his arms and they started dancing. She thought she saw something in his gaze and felt something in the way he was holding her, but she ignored it because she wasn't going to be lead down that path of disappointment again. No, she was just going to enjoy dancing with her best friend.

As the song got to "_Ain't got right. No, no ya' don't…_" He spun her around, brought her in for a dip that made her laugh, then he pulled her back to dancing close. Houston was fighting the urge to kiss her, and tell her he loved her right then and there. She felt so right in his arms… he tried to push those thoughts to the side, but it was not easy when he was looking into her smiling, hazel eyes.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Uncle Roy noticed it, too. Had his nephew finally come to his senses? It had always puzzled Roy a bit that Matlock couldn't see, or didn't want to see, that C.J. was the perfect woman for him. But that aside, he would have a talk with the boy to be sure that Matlock wasn't going to toy with C.J. the way he had seen him toy with other women. He cared about C.J. as if she were his daughter and wouldn't let her get hurt by his nephew's mostly caviler attitude towards relationships. "Alright, C.J., I need you to chop the bacon."

She pulled away from Houston, "Sorry, Cowboy, duty calls." He sat at the table and watched her work and still moving in time to the music.

After the Coq Au Vin was put in the oven to braise for an hour or so they all went out onto the patio to enjoy the early evening air.

After several minutes of business chit-chat, Uncle Roy asked, "So, Matlock, what have you been up to these past three weeks away? We sure have missed ya'."

He sighed, "Well, I'll tell ya', my plan was to sail up the coast to Seattle, but I didn't count on how difficult that would be when you're under sail only. The current and the prevailing winds are not favorable moving in that direction. I ended up motoring up to San Francisco, made port for a while, and then decided to just come on home. No point in grinding over what had happened. In the end, we were two very different people on diverse paths from the get go."

C.J. didn't say anything, but was watching him with concern in her eyes. She was worried about how he was taking the break up. She was a little astonished that he wasn't showing much emotion while discussing it.

"And I want to apologize to both of you for almost leaving you holding the bag with the business. That was a red flag in my relationship I should have seen coming. And I should have avoided it altogether, but…" He shook his head and sighed. How could he have thought just because she was the 'girl from his dreams' that she would be the right one for him? What had come over him? Whatever it was, it was gone now, and he was looking forward to building on the nearly lifelong friendship with C.J.

"The things we do for love, huh?" Roy interjected as C.J. reached over and rubbed Houston's arm. To lighten the mood, Uncle Roy added, "So did you find a _distraction_ in San Fran?" It was said with a "wink, wink" tone of voice.

Houston shook his head, "Nope. I decided I need a break from all of that."

C.J. looked suspicious, "You, Matlock Houston, are taking a break from women?"

"Yes, mam'." He added internally, _"Because the only woman I need is you."_

Uncle Roy and C.J. said together, "Really?"

He intoned firmly, "Yes." He looked over to Uncle Roy, so that he wouldn't give anything away to C.J.

Uncle Roy mused, "So you've hidden away your little black book?" Houston gave a slightly noncommittal tilt of his head as nodded.

"_And_your Rolodex?" C.J. asked with her eyebrow raised.

"Now, C.J., I never had a Rolodex." His eyes were locked on hers while he grinned. "Anyway, I didn't just 'hide it away', I burned it."

They both exclaimed in an astonished tone, "Burned it?!" Houston nodded.

Roy smiled, "What'd ya' go and do that for, boy? I could've used it."

C.J. laughed and added, "Now back to the Rolodex…"

Slightly indigently he said, "C.J., I'm tellin' ya'…"

C.J. smiled and put her hand on his knee, "Houston, I'm your attorney, anything you tell me falls under attorney client privilege."

He put his hand on hers, "I'll just say anything that might have contained a woman's phone number is a fine dust floating on the Pacific right now."

"Oh, dear…" She shook her head and said with a grin, "Hearts are going to be breaking all over the world tonight."

Just then the doorbell rang and C.J. excused herself to go answer it. Uncle Roy used that time to say to Houston in a hushed but firm tone, "I'm only going to say this to you once, boy…" He punctuated every word with a point of his finger, "Don't. You. Toy. With. C.J."

Houston was taken aback, was it that obvious that he had set his sights on her? And if it were, had C.J. noticed? With all sincerity he said, "I would never…"

Roy decided to make his point anyway, "She's like a daughter to me, and I will not have you playing with her emotions. You've been friends for a long time, so I'm hoping you will keep that in mind before taking this any further if you're just dickin' around."

Houston confessed in a low voice, "I'm not planning on just 'dickin' around' with her. While I was away, I figured out a few things and one of them is that C.J. is the only woman I want to be with. She's always let me be me, only ever asked that I be careful when I go out to do these dangerous assignments. But I can't tell her now because…" He didn't want to say the rest.

"I get it. I get it." He had had his own experiences on both sides of the "rebound" relationship. He was curious, and after a quick glance at the door to be sure that C.J. wasn't returning, added, "Do you love her, son?"

Houston smiled, "With everything I am. It took me too long to figure it out, I know that now. I…"

Roy interrupted him, "Your father and I didn't agree on much, but we did agree that when it came to C.J. – Son, you're kind of an idiot."

Houston looked slightly taken aback, "Uuhh, thanks for not mincin' words?" He shook the comment off and continued, "So I just need to find the right time to tell her."

"Do you need a wing-man?" Roy grinned. He knew how happy it would make his late brother, Bill, to see Matt and C.J. together as a couple.

Houston made an approving nod, "It wouldn't hurt, especially if it's you. She trusts you and knows you wouldn't steer her wrong." Houston smiled.

All of a sudden they heard C.J. exclaim, "Son of a bitch!" This was not language she usually used, even when she was upset, so something must have really gotten to her.

They both got up and went to see what the matter was. They found her in the living room with a document in one hand and an envelope in the other. She had a livid look on her face.

Houston was the first to speak, "What's up C.J.?"

There was fire in her eyes, "I'll tell you what's up – I just got a letter requesting that I be Robert's defense attorney." She handed it to Houston and then started pacing. He read it then handed it to Uncle Roy.

Robert had been her almost fiancée when they found out that he was killing people to boost his ratings as a news anchor, so he could get a national show. He was in jail awaiting trial because his attorneys kept getting postponements.

Houston and Roy were befuddled. Roy spoke in a measured tone, "He needs to go for an insanity plea if he thinks that's going to work."

She glowered at the floor while she paced, "Why would he even think I would?! What's wrong with him?!" Even more exasperatedly she added, "Geez! What's wrong with _me_ that I couldn't see this about him?" Houston was the one to figure out what Robert was doing back then, and when he told C.J. of his suspicions she was so angry that she quit on the spot. She finally came to realize that Houston was right, but they both thought, at that moment, they would never be friends again. It was agonizing for both of them.

Houston shook his head and said sincerely, "Nothing's wrong with you C.J. It's him; he's a manipulator. I don't know what he's playing at, but…"

She made a decision, "Well, I'm going to go down there right now and find out." She walked to the bowl where she kept her keys, but Houston took hold of her arm after quickly closing the gap between them. She looked at him sharply and was about to yank her arm away from him, but then she saw something in his stare, so she stopped. The look left her almost breathless.

Soothingly he said, "C.J., come on now, it's Sunday evening and they won't let you see him _unless_ you're his attorney." She looked at him, her mind was racing, "Let's just enjoy this evening and if you still feel you need to see him, we can go tomorrow." She could also hear something in the tone of his voice that made her rethink her plan of action.

Uncle Roy could see the questioning look on C.J.'s face and the look in his nephew's eyes, so added, "He's probably hoping you'll go down there to see him. If I were you, I would send him a letter back, stating that you refuse to be his attorney. Don't give him the satisfaction of making you dance to his tune." He knew how much Robert coming between them had almost cost both of them.

C.J. was captivated by the look in Houston gaze. He was right about Robert before, and this time she was going to trust his judgment and not hers. She relaxed, and nodded, "Yeah… Yeah, you're right." She looked down and shook her head, "You're right, I'll send him a letter tomorrow."

Houston slipped his arm around her waist, guiding her back to the kitchen, where she moved away from him to go to the refrigerator, and started pulling out ingredients to make the salad. He watched her working quietly, knowing that she was replaying her relationship with Robert over and over again in her head trying to figure out what she missed and why.

Uncle Roy saw the look on her face as she worked, and hoping to bring her out of her own head, and mentioned, "You know, this morning when I was at the Farmers Market getting the mushrooms I could have sworn I saw a young woman who looked like you run to the corner then turn around and run back the same direction."

C.J. had to stop and replay what he had just said, then agreed, "That's because it was me."

Houston did some quick calculations and became puzzled, "That's got to be 10 miles from here."

"It is exactly 10 miles from here." She replied with a firm nod of her head. She was finally brushing all thoughts of Robert aside as she was thinking about this morning's run.

"C.J., why on earth would you be running 20 miles in one day?" He was astonished that he didn't know this about her. He knew she kept fit, but… 20 miles in one morning run?

"I'm training for a marathon." She kept making the salad while she talked, "It's in two weeks, so this was the longest distance at an easy pace before the race. Next week it's a shorter run, but at the pace you intend to do during the marathon."

"So what's your minute per mile?" Uncle Roy asked wanting to keep her mind on something other than Robert.

She calculated, "Uh, it depends, but right around 12 minutes over that distance. I'm kinda hoping to get it down to 11, but…"

Houston pressed on, "That doesn't answer my larger question of why you would want to run a marathon in the first place."

She started dicing the tomatoes as she said, "Well, I was reading that in 1967 a lady named Katherine Switzer was the first woman to run the Boston marathon. One of the male officials noticed that she was a woman and tried to drag her off the race course." She gave them both a look as she paused for effect.

"Well, that's rude." Houston said earnestly.

"Yes, it was." She continued, "But her boyfriend knocked the official down and she was able to finish the race in 4 hours and 20 minutes. See, back then, the men thought that women were too fragile to run long distances." She rolled her eyes. "So I decided, with the encouragement from a friend, to give it a shot. You know, to support her efforts, to show that women can do anything they set their minds to."

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have trained with you." He really would have been happy to train with her.

In a slightly wistful tone she said, "You were busy with other things and other people, Houston." She saw a slightly hurt look on his face as he realized what and who she was talking about. She walked over to him, smiled, and put her hand on his arm, "Tell you what, if I survive this one, we'll train for next year's race together, how about that?"

He smiled, "You got yourself a deal."


	3. Chapter 3

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

The next morning, C.J. was on the phone in her office when Houston arrived. He was hoping that she had changed her mind about wanting to talk with Robert at the jail. It wouldn't do her any good to see him, but if she insisted on going, he would go with her to give her the support she was going to need. Robert was an expert at playing mind games, and he certainly did a number on her. Houston was sitting at the bar pouring coffee, when she came out of her office with a big smile on her face.

"I've got good news and better news, which do you want first?" She walked up the steps with her coffee cup in hand and over to where he was sitting.

"Let's go with the good news first." He poured some coffee into her cup.

"Thank you." She took a sip, and then said, "The good news is that your old place was already on the market. I guess dealing with a ranch that big was too much for the current owners."

He smiled broadly. What a stroke of luck! Once he moved in he could put his plan of wooing C.J. into action. "Well, C.J. that _is_ good news. So what's the better news?"

She patted his arm and said with a smile, "Ya' own it."

He was stunned; he figured it would take weeks, "Really? That fast?"

She nodded, "Yes, all you have to do is fly on out there and sign the paperwork. I set up a 12 o'clock meeting for today, if that works for you."

"It sure does." He asked with a little hesitancy, "You want to come out with me, look the place over?"

She beamed, "I'd love to."

He looked at her intently, "No other plans?" Hoping that he wouldn't have to verbalize his real question _"Are you going to see Robert?"_

She knew what he was really asking and so answered the unasked by shaking her head, "No. No other plans."

He nodded, "Good. Good. So what's on the docket until then?"

"Well, I have to go downstairs to be sure that the cashier's check is ready for when we leave, and you have a stack of papers…" She gestured over to the table, "That have been awaiting your signature since you left."

"Fun," he said unenthusiastically. He hated paperwork, but it was a necessary evil in the business world.

"SO much fun." She said with the same enthusiasm. "I went ahead and pulled out the ones that pertained to…" She said the next part fast, hoping that it would take the sting out of them, "all the stuff that would have applied if you and Elizabeth would have gotten married." He didn't respond, so she plowed on, "There are a few that reverse the ones that you signed before the wedding." 

He sighed, "I'll get right on it." He looked over at the pile of papers with disdain.

She rubbed his arm and looked at him with concern, "You OK, pal? I know you don't like paperwork, and this paperwork is a painful reminder, but the sooner it's done, the sooner you can do other things you'd rather be doing." He laughed. "What?" She puzzled as to why he would laugh.

He narrowed his eyes and grinned, "Darlin', you said that to me when we were in grade school." He had always preferred to procrastinate on his school work.

She smirked, "It was true then and it's true now." She had always been very studious, which is one of the reasons she was able to get into Harvard Law School and graduate at the top of her class.

His grin widened, "And high school…"

Now she was grinning, "It was true then and it's true now."

He smiled, "And college…"

"It was true then and it's true now." She patted his arm. "Are you seeing a pattern here, Houston?" She asked with a smile.

He shook his head vigorously, "Nope."

She leaned close to him and whispered in his ear, "Go do your paperwork." Then she gave him a peck on the cheek before walking back to her office.

It was killing him that she had no idea what those little gestures were doing to him now that he quit thinking of her in a platonic way. The smell of her perfume, the touch of her lips on his cheek, even the sway of her hips when she walked was driving him crazy. Without realizing it, he said softly, "Hate to see her leave; looove to watch her go."

She stopped at the steps, turned around; eye brows raised, and bemusedly asked, "What did you just say?" She saw the guilty look on his blushing face, then, with a grin, she shook her head in a way that let him know that it was a rhetorical question. "Just do your paperwork." She couldn't help but note that he was acting odd since he came back from his trip. But at least he was in a good mood, so why question it?

%%%

Murray drove out to meet them and was standing in the driveway, when Houston landed the helicopter. He was going to make sure that all the i's were dotted, and t's were crossed. Even though he knew C.J. was a more than competent lawyer, as Houston's accountant he felt he should really be there to hand carry the cashier's check for that amount of money. After all, 8 million dollars was nothing to sneeze at. As they approached him, he said, "OK, Big Guy, are you ready for this?"

Houston smiled, "You know what, Murray? I really am. While we were flying in I realized how much I missed this spread."

C.J. was looking around to see if there were any changes, "It is something special." She had a legal pad with her to make notes on anything that might need to be fixed, or any changes Houston might want to do before moving back in.

He slipped his arm around her waist and said, "That it is." Houston looked at her and thought, _"You're something special. Too bad Murray tagged along or maybe I'd show you…"_

Murray noticed how Houston was looking at C.J. There was a strong sexual vibe that was being given off, but C.J. seemed oblivious to it. Murray wasn't a "man's man" like the Big Guy, but he knew enough to know that something had changed, at least on Houston's part. He had seen the two of them together for years and while they would occasionally hold hands or put an arm around each other, it had always had a friendly air about it. This was very different. Was Houston finally ready to pursue C.J.? After all, they made more sense together than Houston and Elizabeth. They had known each other forever and made a great team. Then he wondered if he could help getting them together as a couple, but since he was no expert on courting women, he decided to let it drop for now.

An hour or so later, after all the paperwork was signed, the keys handed over, and the real estate agent had left; Murray surprised Houston with a bottle of champagne. He opened it and poured each of them a glass. He said, "A toast to the Big Guy getting back to his cowboy ways."

C.J. slipped her arm around Houston's waist and said, "I'll drink to that." He reciprocated the move and gave her ribs a little squeeze.

They all clinked their glasses and said, "Cheers!" And then sipped the champagne.

C.J. pulled away, picked up her legal pad, and started looking around the place. She had always loved this house. The vaulted ceilings in the living room, the big kitchen and dining room area, the woodwork throughout the home, the open walkways upstairs that lead to the two master suites that were up there, and the warmth that she felt whenever she was there. His Malibu place was nice, but not a home, not really. Even devoid of furniture this house was homier.

Houston remarked, "C.J., I think we should get the chimney inspected, I can see a crack in the bricks. Let's make sure that it's just cosmetic."

C.J. made a note of it, then continued down the hallway to where the guest bedrooms, baths, and study were. Houston not taking his eyes off her for a moment. "Oh, my!" she said as she stood at the doorway to one of the bedrooms. "They must have a teenager."

Houston and Murray walked over to her to look at the room that was painted all in black, even the ceiling. Houston shook his head, "Yeah, they must. I remember my Daddy refusing to let me do the same thing to my room when I was 15. Let's get this repainted."

"Mmm, what color?" She turned her head and looked into his eyes and her breath caught. There it was again. Something in the way he was looking at her. She looked away and mentally shook herself. _"He doesn't think of you like that, so just stop it!"_ she thought.

His stare didn't waver as he said, "Oh, I dunno. You pick. I trust your tastes."

She walked across the room to peek in the closet and said, "Whatever color it is, this is going to need at least two coats of primer before it goes up." She stopped and said, "How about a nice light green?"

"That works for me." He tried to not look at her, but he couldn't help himself.

Murray watched Houston watching C.J. _"Yeah,"_ he thought, _"The Big Guy is definitely looking at her differently. Maybe I should take notes on how he's handling her, so if I ever meet someone…"_

Houston interrupted Murray's train of though when he announced, "I'm going to head outside and see what the corral situation looks like." He had spotted Murray watching him looking at C.J. and thought he'd better go look at something else before Murray caught on and spilled the beans to her. Murray was a great accountant and friend but couldn't keep a secret to save his life. And telling C.J. how he felt about her needed to be timed perfectly or it could blow up in his face and he would lose her for good.

C.J. replied, "OK, I'm going to take a look upstairs and see if it needs anything." Then she headed for the stairs and the boys headed outside.

After she poked around a bit, she went outside and saw that the guys were over at the corral. She looked over the pool deck, then spotted a canvas, double hammock over in the trees. She meandered over, set the legal pad and pen on the ground, then laid down on the blue and white striped hammock, and looked up at the sky peeking through the treetops. The former owners may not have been able to manage this place, but they sure knew where to put a hammock.

She closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't sleep well last night. Bad dreams came at her every time she closed her eyes. Finally, when she woke up and realized she was downstairs in her living room cowered in a corner next to her sofa, out of breath, shaking violently and soaked in sweat, she gave up trying to sleep and started her day. It had been over a week since the last night like that. She tried to anticipate when she was going to have those nights, but she still hadn't fully figured it out. Sometimes she would have several nights like that in row for over a week and other times she could go over month without one. They had started after she was kidnapped by Castanos and was forced to watch him kill his accomplice, and they got worse after each harrowing event that happened to her. When her new neighbor had asked about the blood curdling screams that they had heard in the middle of the night, C.J. apologized and told them she liked bad horror movies and didn't realize how loud the volume on the TV was.

She probably should go to a therapist, but she didn't like to admit that her mind would turn against her like that. And she certainly would never tell Houston about them. No, he would cut her out of the business completely if he knew. The only thing that had ever kept them at bay was having someone to snuggle with while she slept, but that wasn't practical for her lifestyle.

After a long while, she heard the door to the house open and close, then a few minutes later it opened and closed again as Houston call out for her.

"C.J.? C.J.?! Where'd ya' get to?" There was a tinge of panic in his voice that puzzled her.

She raised her arm up and waved, "Over here!" She was not getting out of the hammock anytime soon; it was far to relaxing to be there, swaying gently.

Murray hollered, "I'm going to get going. See you back at the office!"

She wiggled her fingers and said, "Bye!" in that way she had. Not long after she heard Houston walk over to where she was, and she could feel his eyes on her. She kept her eyes closed as she said, "Are you going to just stand there and stare at me or are you going to join me?"

Without a moment's hesitation, he walked over to the other side and got in, causing the hammock to sway raucously. It also made C.J. roll toward him, which he didn't mind at all, especially because it made her laugh. To his disappointment, when it stopped rocking, she scooched away from him a bit.

She closed her eyes again and sighed, "Wish I still had my place out here."

As he put his arms behind his head he added thoughtfully, "It was nice having you only five miles away. You could see if that place is up for sale…"

She lightly clicked her tongue, crinkled her nose a bit and said, "But I just bought my other place…"

Her former high school classmate, Christian Dean, started stalking her over a year and a half ago. He had broken into her house at least twice. The second time, after he had killed her boyfriend Carl and injured Too Mean, he broke in in the middle of the night. She had awoken to find him on her bed staring down at her, then he gave her a long kiss that she did not return. Houston broke Dean's focus enough for her to get her gun and start shooting. Dean went out the window, and she ran to the patio ready to fire again when she saw that her best friend was there. He walked over to hold her while she broke down crying. Even after Dean had died, she couldn't sell her house fast enough. It no longer felt like home. She liked her new place, and she was finally getting to feel like it was a safe place to decompress from the worries of the world. Except for nights like last night, but then those nights followed her no matter where she was.

Houston then came up with an idea that was a stroke of genius, if he did say so himself. He casually remarked, "Tell you what, why don't you pick out one of the bedrooms. Then you can stay here whenever you like."

She looked over at him, her eyebrow raised high and she said incredulously, "Really?"

He enthused, "Sure! You're still planning on boarding your horse here aren't you?"

She was still a bit dubious, "Well, yes, but don't you think it would cramp your style?" All the women he dated could never believe that she and Houston were just friends. Her staying at his house would only increase that concern in his dates.

"What style?" Then it hit him, "Oohh! I told you C.J., I'm taking a break from all of that, so there's no style to cramp."

She eyed him, "_And_ I thought you didn't want a sweatshirt thief on the premises."

He narrowed his eyes, "Oh, I plan on keeping a VERY close eye on you." Then they both laughed. He laid back and looked up, "I don't know why I didn't think to put a hammock here."

"Because you were always busy. Sitting idle is not something you do well. But this is very nice. Very peaceful." She closed her eyes again. He started fidgeting his legs around, and she sighed, "Houston, could you please keep still for two minutes together?"

"What? I am still." As he moved his legs a bit more.

She said calmly, "No, you're fidgeting. Just be still and take deep breaths."

He tried that, but then his legs started to fidget again. She let out an exasperated sigh, rolled over and put her head on his chest and her leg across his legs, in effect, pinning them down. "Breathe with me." And she began to take slow, deep breaths in and then let them out just as slowly.

He wasn't sure how it had happened, but he was inwardly thanking his fidgety legs for getting them in this position. He put his arms around her, then he matched her breathing and before he realized it, he had drifted off to sleep. When he woke, it took him a minute to remember where he was. C.J. had obviously fallen asleep, too. He didn't want to move and wake her, but then his legs moved, and she woke with a start. _"Damn fidgety legs"_ he thought.

She looked up at him, "Hey. Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." She rolled onto her back and looked at her watch. "Is it really 4 o'clock?"

He checked his watch, "Yeah, I guess it is. Thank you." He really didn't care what time it was; he was just so happy that he was at his new/old house with her. He wondered if he could talk her into taking a nap with him every day. That would be nice.

"For what? We should have been back to the office hours ago." She tried to shake the cobwebs out of her brain as she got out of the hammock.

Once she got up, he realized that was it for today. As he rolled out of the hammock, he replied, "For making me stop and relax. I needed that."

She bent over to pick up the pad and pen, "You are more than welcome. It was a good nap. I don't know why little kids hate them." She looked over her list, "Did you see any work that you want done on the shed or corral area?"

He scratched his head, "Yeah, I was thinking of adding an actual horse barn. I never got around to it when I lived here before. I'm thinking one with a hay loft, tack room, the works."

As she was writing she said, "Are you going fancy with it? I hear that some of the ones in Kentucky have air conditioning."

He raised his eyebrows, "For the horses?"

She nodded, "Yep. Air conditioning for the horses. To be fair, those are expensive horses with a lot of money riding on them… No pun intended."

He smiled, "Yeah. No. No air conditioning for the horses. Just a regular ol' horse barn."

"OK, I will look for a builder when I get back to the office." She said as she was making notes. As she was walking over to where they parked the helicopter, she could feel his eyes on her again. She turned quickly and he looked up at the roof just as quickly. "I need to get my purse. If you give me the key I'll lock up."

He handed her the key and said, "OK, I'll meet you at the helicopter." Once she was in the house, he thought to himself, _"Get it together, man. You are going to scare her off before you even get started."_

Once C.J. was in the house she said softly, "Get a grip, girl. You are _just_ imagining things. You are _not_ going to get sucked into that again. You're just friends. That's all." She grabbed her purse and headed out the door, locking it behind her.

Little did they know that a couple of days from now there would be surprises for both of them.


	4. Chapter 4

I received my "Matt Houston" DVDs at the same time as my "Aquaman" Blu-ray. I would watch a DVD of episodes of "Matt Houston" then watch Aquaman again. That's when it hit me that C.J. and a guy like Aquaman would make an interesting pairing and he'd make an interesting "rival" for Houston. Enjoy.

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

On Wednesday afternoon, Houston, C.J. and Roy were out on the patio having lunch and talking about the improvements to the ranch. Houston chose a local company with a good reputation for getting the work done right and in a timely manner to build the horse barn. It didn't hurt that he offered them almost double their money to get it done in under two weeks. They were going to have to hire a separate company to dig the water and drainage lines and pull the permits to do all of the work. He offered them the same deal, and since he had once helped a couple of the men on the committee find out who the embezzler was in their office, they would make sure he got his permits ASAP. They were still deciding who to get to paint the rooms that needed it, changing the locks, putting in a surveillance system, repair the fence line, and check the chimney when they heard the 'ding' of the elevator. They paused their conversation waiting for Chris to come and tell them who was there to see them.

A minute later Chris slowly walked out onto the patio with a stunned look on her face, "C.J." C.J. turned to look at her and was surprised at the look on Chris' face. "C.J. Big…" She gestured to show height, then sucked in her breath, "Tall…"

C.J. was a little worried, Chris may not have been the most eloquent speaker, but this was something else altogether, "Chris are you OK?"

Chris nodded and continued in a breathless fashion while she gestured, "Uh, huh. Big, tall…" She went back to panting.

Houston said with concern in his voice, "Yeah, we got that." The three of them looked at each other then back at Chris.

"Muscles…" She then made claw like hands in mid-air, and snarled, which took them all aback. She was almost panting as she said, "Ooohhh," then snarled again before continuing, "Island… God…" then she was panting again.

Realization dawned on C.J. and she got up and walked into the office as Uncle Roy, Chris, and Houston followed her. As they reached the bar, they could see into the reception area. They saw a large, fierce looking man with long, dark, curly hair; its ends having been lightened by the sun. He had a scruffy, mid-length beard and was wearing jeans, boots, and a leather vest that showed his muscular, tanned arms covered in tribal tattoos. There was a leather duffle bag at his feet. His face lit up when he saw C.J., suddenly he wasn't so fierce looking with a smile on his face, and he ran to her yelling, "Nani Uhane!" As he got to her, he quickly gathered her up in a bear hug and swung her around, she laughed and hugged him back.

When he finally set her down, she gave him a quick kiss, then she stroked his beard and said sweetly, "Hauoli Uhane, it's great to see you! I didn't expect you for another week."

"Yeah, I had some things to do in L.A. before the race. I have _missed_ you!" His brown eyes sparkled as he smiled at her. Then he gave her a smoldering look and kissed her again with more intensity. When he remembered they had an audience, he broke the kiss, looked over at Roy and said, "You must be Uncle Roy! Great to meet you!" He kept an arm around C.J., as she stepped next to him putting an arm around his waist, and he offered his hand to Uncle Roy.

Roy smiled and as he shook his hand said, "You must be Kai. I've heard a lot about you, son."

Houston looked stunned, "You have?!" Wondering how he hadn't heard about this guy. He was pretty sure he would have remembered if C.J. would have told him about an "island god". She couldn't possibly be interested in a guy with that many tattoos… Who wears a leather vest with no shirt… AND he didn't like the way this guy was looking at her either. Yeah, he didn't like this character at all.

Kai turned his attention to Chris, "And you must be Chris. C.J. told me you were a beautiful woman." After a moment, Roy nudged her arm to get her to put her hand out, and Kai reached for her outstretched hand and shook it.

Chris smiled weakly, and made whimpering sounds, which made C.J. roll her eyes. C.J. looked at Kai, who was smoldering at her again, and said, "You'll have to forgiver her. We don't let her out much." C.J. gave Chris a disapproving look and a little shake of the head; not that Chris noticed, because she was in awe of Kai. She wished he would turn that smoldering look that he was giving C.J. over in her direction.

Kai smiled as he turned and said, "You must be Houston." He grabbed Houston's hand and shook it vigorously, "Awesome to meet you, dude!"

Houston cringed a little because Kai's grip was so strong, "Yeah, it's nice to meet you, too. Who are you?" He was not happy with this development. How was he supposed to woo C.J. if some, as Chris put it, "island god", was wrapped around her? He was trying to keep the snarling, jealous beast within him at bay.

The look on his face didn't go unnoticed by C.J. His double standards about dating always irritated her, and she was going to have to give him a piece of her mind if he pushed it. But for now, she decided to just plow on with the introduction, "Houston, this is Kai. We're running the marathon together. I met him in Hawaii."

Then it hit him why she hadn't mentioned him, _"Because you've spent the time since then keeping her at arm's length for the most part. Sending her out of town alone for work, bouncing from woman to woman, almost getting married. This is on you."_ Still it bothered him that this guy was all over C.J., and it bothered him more that C.J. didn't seem to mind.

Kai added, "Mama and Vince told me to tell you 'Hello'. And she told me to ask when she's getting some grandchildren out of either of you."

C.J. laughed, "That sounds like Mama." Mama always wanted more grandchildren, but Vince's wife, Teresa, had had four boys and had given up on having a girl, so Mama decided that Houston or C.J. were the next candidates in her extended family to give her more grandchildren.

Now Houston was really puzzled, "So you met Vince and Mama?" He had spoken to Vince often, but Vince never mentioned Kai even once. He was going to have to give his friend a call and get the background on this fellow.

Kai enthused, "Oh, yeah, she makes the best food! C.J. introduced us when she was there. I go there at least once a week. And I even work there sometimes."

Now Houston was truly taken aback, "You work for Mama?" Now he was genuinely wondering why Vince hadn't said anything about this tall, tattooed dude that C.J. obviously felt comfortable enough to introduce to what she considered family.

Kai was giving C.J. a kiss on the top of her head and squeezing her, then he said, "Well, not full time, but if the weather's bad, I go over and help out."

C.J. added, "Kai works construction, so if it's rainy and they don't have any indoor work that needs to be done, then he doesn't work."

Kai explained, "And if I don't work, I don't get paid, so Mama puts me to work. Such a sweet lady! She's teaching me some Italian, too."

Just then the phone rang, and everyone looked at Chris, who didn't move but continued to be mesmerized by Kai.

Houston and Roy said simultaneously, "Chris."

"Uh, huh." she murmured, not looking away from Kai. As one does when staring at an island god, she was busy imagining Kai taking her on the reception desk.

C.J. snapped her fingers in front of Chris' face which brought her out of her reverie, "Chris, go answer the phone." Chris reluctantly went to answer the phone but kept her eyes on Kai.

Kai moved C.J. to arm's length away, "Look at you all dressed up! I must say, I think I prefer you in your bikini." He pulled her back to his side.

C.J. smiled and shook her head, "Not exactly business attire."

Houston added quickly, "Yes, this _is_ a place of business." Who did this guy think he was?

Kai looked bemused, "Dude, you have a hot tub and a fully stocked bar in your office. If that doesn't scream 'Aloha Friday', I don't know what does." C.J. giggled, and Houston had to nod in agreement. "And Vince told me you've been caught in the hot tub with a lady more than once by your office staff."

Before Houston could reply, Uncle Roy asked, "What is 'Aloha Friday'?"

Kai gestured in an easy-going manner, "In Hawaii, the business people go to work on Fridays dressed in shorts, Hawaiian shirts, flip-flops. They keep it very relaxed. Everyone seems to like it." He turned his gaze back on C.J.

Houston shook his head, "I can't imagine they get much work done." He couldn't envision Murray instituting anything like that downstairs. Houston was pretty sure that Murray slept in a business suit.

Kai looked back at Houston, "On the contrary, the bosses are finding that it motivates everyone to work even harder if they know they get one day to shake off the suits and ties."

C.J. could see Houston was about to debate Kai over this, so decided to change the subject, "So, what business do you have in L.A.?"

Kai kissed her on the side of her head, "Well, I need to track down my cousin. He left a couple of weeks ago and since I was coming out anyway, I thought I would look for him. The family's worried about him. Makoa's a good guy, but he does get into trouble."

"We can help you with that." C.J. offered as she squeezed Kai.

Houston did not want to help this guy who was holding on to and kissing _his_ C.J., "No, C.J. we're kind of busy right now."

C.J. eyed Houston, knowing full well what his true objections were. She stated flatly, "No, we're not. We don't have any new cases; the old ones are wrapped up. We can help him find his cousin."

Kai, sensing rising tension, interjected, "C.J., don't worry about it. Besides, I know I can't afford your daily rate."

She looked up at him and smiled, "We can work something out." Kai gave her another smoldering look.

Houston was becoming irritated, hoping she didn't mean that in the way he would have meant it if he had been saying it to a woman, "Now C.J., if the man says he can't afford it…"

She gave Houston a stern look, "Houston, I need to see you in my office. Now." She turned and smiled at Kai, "We'll be right back. Uncle Roy, would you get him something to drink?"

After she ushered him into her office and shut the door behind her, she turned on him, hands on hips, and said in a low tone, "We are taking this case."

"No, C.J., if he can't…" He began his objection.

She narrowed her eyes, lowered her voice so that they wouldn't hear her outside of her office, and spoke in a tone that let him know she meant business, "Matlock Houston! How many of your ex-girlfriends and flings have traipsed into this office that you jumped at the chance to help?" He was about to object, but she continued, "We're partners in this firm, so I say we're helping him."

He tried to continue, "But C.J., I just don't…"

She cut him off as she threw both of her hands up, "Fine. _You_ don't help him. _I _will. I will do all the work on this one and you don't have to do a thing."

She turned sharply and had her hand on the doorknob when he said, "OK, I'll help him." He knew he had gone too far, and that this was not going to help his cause. He took a step toward her and put his hand on her arm and she turned to look him in the eyes, "WE will help him. It's just that you have _never_ mentioned this guy…"

She was still fired up, "When I came back from Hawaii, you were _so_ busy with your flavor of the month, you didn't ask anything beyond 'was it a nice trip? Here's some more paperwork for you to do'. Then you sent me off to do work in Santa Fe, but that…" She shook her head and her tone changed. She didn't like to think about how she lost her memory and was forced into a prostitution ring, and if Houston hadn't found her, she would have been raped, murdered, then buried in the desert.

His demeanor softened, knowing how horrible that was for her, "Yeah, I know…"

She was not done with him, and to let him know she meant what she was saying she used a word she rarely ever said, "You have this _bullshit_ double standard, Houston. You tell me _everything_ about your dates, but then whenever you even _think_ I've gone out with a guy… You get crazy…" She searched for the right word. "Jealous" was the one that fit, but she had thrown that word at him during the fight about Robert and she didn't want to use it again. "…overprotective… Even the phrase 'green ducks' sent you into a tizzy, so what would you have done if I had told you about Kai, or god forbid, shown you a picture of us together? Yes, I saw you eyeing his tattoos and I know what you were thinking, but you're wrong about him. He's a good guy, Houston. Even Mama and Vince think so."

He knew she was right on all counts, at the time he didn't know why he would get so over protective, but now he knew why; He had loved her all along, but was too blind to see it. "You're right. I do get over protective of you. I do. And yes, I don't think much of his tattoos, but if Mama likes him, he can't be all bad. It's just…" He wanted to tell her those 3 little words, but knew this was not the time, "I just don't want you to get hurt is all. I'm sorry, OK? Forgive me?" He rubbed her arm.

She could see the sincerity in his eyes, and with a little smile she nodded, "Yeah, I forgive you." Even though he could be irritating in his double standard, he really did care about her.

"OK. So, let's go figure out how we can help this island god of yours." She shot him a look, and he back down, "Kai. Let's see how we can help Kai."

%%%%%%

Later that day, C.J. and Kai collapsed onto the bed together, naked, out of breath and glistening with sweat. As they were both rolling over to lay face up on the bed, she glanced over at his well-defined body with the tattoos that highlighted all the right parts, then closed her eyes. Chris was not exaggerating; with stamina like that, he really was an island god. C.J. managed to say breathlessly, but nonchalantly, "So, this is my bedroom." Much to Houston's dismay, she had insisted Kai stay with her and not at some motel. She was SO glad she insisted.

He glanced around, "It's nice." He let out a deep breath and added, "I like the bedspread."

At that moment she honestly couldn't remember what her bedspread looked like or if she even had one, so, after another gulp of air, out of politeness said, "Thanks".

He was trying to control his breathing, too. He added, "I was expecting more pillows. Women love pillows for some reason."

She thought about it, "I think some of them hit the floor earlier."

He gave a non-committal nod of the head, "Oh." They both were starting to come back down to earth after they had flown so high.

C.J. let out a long breath then said, "Before I forget, thank you for helping me work on the guest room downstairs." Her inner thighs still tingled from where his beard had rubbed them after he abandoned his efforts to fix the off-track closet door for more pleasurable activities.

He rolled onto his side, putting his arm across her chest and his leg across her legs. "We still have more work to do in that room." He started giving her little kisses on the side of her face.

She grabbed his forearm with both hands and held on. Puzzled, she asked, "We do?" She thought they had done a very thorough job in that room. She was going to have to remember to get the clothes they discarded while they were in there.

He nodded, "Yeah. What do you think of when you think of that room?" She had told him the story during one of their phone calls since her return to L.A.

C.J. made a face, "Houston and her." When Houston met Elizabeth, she needed a place to hide, so Houston used C.J.'s guestroom to conceal her. Which wouldn't have bothered C.J. as much if Houston hadn't also knocked boots with Elizabeth in that room. Bleh. Especially after all of the things that had transpired before and after their almost wedding. Bleh, bleh, bleh.

"We're going to work on that room until _all_ you can think about is us." He began sensually kissing her neck, as he moved his hand to cup her breast.

She moaned then said, "Well, if you insist." It would be tough work, but she was up for the challenge.

"Oh, I insist." Then he kissed his way over to her mouth and she eagerly returned the kiss. He moved back to kissing her neck again. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Yeah, I think you've earned it." After two rounds of mind-blowing sex, he really had earned it.

He couched his question delicately, "When was the last time you were _with _a guy?"

"Well, let me think…" She didn't have to ponder long, "When was the last time I saw you?"

He was surprised, "That long ago?" She was a beautiful woman who should have had no problem finding a man. L.A. was a _very_ weird place. He was going to have to figure out a way to get her to come back to Hawaii.

After Robert had burned her, she was reluctant to get back out there, not trusting her instincts. But with Kai in Hawaii, it was different. He was _so very_ different than the other guys she had dated. She liked those differences, a lot. She wanted to explain it to him, "Yes. It's just that…"

He captured her mouth in another knee weakening kiss. Good thing they were both lying down. "You don't have to explain a thing to me. I was just curious." Then he kissed her again, and they way he kissed her; she knew he was fine with it.

Just then the phone rang, C.J. stopped kissing him and tried to move to get the phone, but Kai held on to her, so she said, "I have to get that. In the PI business, phone calls come at all hours. Maybe Houston's found something on your cousin." He reluctantly loosened his hold as she rolled onto her belly, propped herself on her elbows, and reached for the phone. "Hello."

The voice on the other end of the phone said, "Hey, C.J."

"Hey, Houston. Did you find something?" Kai had started to lightly run his tongue in circles on her back, which was making her want him all over again.

"No, not yet… Are you OK? You sound out of breath." He was hoping that Kai wasn't the reason for that.

"I'm just fine." Just then Kai nipped at her shoulder blade then traced the spot with his lips and tongue, and she had to squash a squeal of delight, "What do you need?"

Houston was having a difficult time keeping the beast tamped down, "Is Kai there? I have an offer for him."

Surprised, she asked, "You do?"

"Yeah, I'll hold on while you get him." He was hoping against hope that Kai wouldn't be right next to her.

"He's right here. Kai, Houston wants to talk to you." After she handed him the phone, she got up and walked to the bathroom looking back at him.

Kai sent a smoldering look after her. "Hey, Houston, what's up?"

Putting aside the images of C.J. and Kai in bed together, he started, "I think I figured out a way for you to pay for us finding your cousin. You said you work in construction, right?"

He was watching C.J. moving around in the bathroom, then said, "Yeah, I do a little bit of everything."

Keeping his tone upbeat, "Good, now I realize that this might not be challenging work for you, but, you see, I just bought my old ranch back and I could use someone to paint a couple of rooms, repair some of the fencing around the perimeter, that sort of thing."

Kai was up for that kind of work, "Oh, that would be awesome! When do you want me to start?"

Houston continued, "Well, I was thinking tomorrow. You come into the office with C.J. and we can take the helicopter out to the ranch." Keep him busy on the ranch, and he'll have less time and energy for C.J. Another brilliant plan if he did think so himself.

"Great! I'll be there! Do you need to talk to C.J.?" She had moved to the doorway of the bathroom wearing a blue silk robe, and Kai was imagining taking it off of her as soon as this call was over.

"No, that's OK. I'll see you in the morning." After he hung up, he looked over at Uncle Roy. "What am I supposed to do now? I know they're hitting the sheets."

Uncle Roy reminded him, "Well, boy you really can't get mad at C.J. about Kai, because as far as C.J. knows, you're still operating under the 'we're just friends' rule that you've always had between you."

"You dodged the question there, Uncle Roy," Houston stated flatly.

Uncle Roy gave a quick shrug of his shoulders and said, "Tomorrow morning, you're going to tell C.J. you love her, and can't live without her, and want to marry her and have several dozen babies."

Houston's temper flared, "I can't do that now!"

In a mock defensive tone Roy said, "Well, she doesn't have to give birth to all of them. You can adopt a couple of dozen of them."

Houston's irritation at his uncle's jokes at a time like this were showing, "I mean I can't tell her I love her – _now_."

Roy was going to remain the calm voice of reason, "Why not?"

Still irritated, he replied, "Because she'll just think I'm being jealous."

Roy grinned, "Son, you _are_ jealous."

Houston tossed up his hands, "I know _that_, but then it will be the Robert thing all over again."

After taking a sip of his drink, "Well, then tomorrow morning, you are going to be nice to Kai. You are going to support your friend if he is what she wants, and then you're going to let the chips fall where they may, because all your other avenues won't steer C.J. in your direction."

He rubbed his forehead with his thumb, "You've talked to C.J. about this guy, do you think she's in love with him?"

He shook his head, "No, not really. I think she appreciates that he's a kind, fun, energetic guy. He was a breath of fresh air after what happened with Robert."

He went back to rubbing his forehead with his thumb, "So do you think I still have a chance with her? Or did I blow it because..."

Roy smiled, "You're an idiot?"

He said in a slightly defeated manner, "Yeah."

All joking aside, he told him, "I think you hold a big place in her heart, but she wasn't going to wait around forever for you to stop being an idiot. Tell her you love her, that's my last piece of advice to you this evening."

%%%%%

The next morning when Houston arrived around 8am, C.J. was standing at Chris's desk looking over some papers. He said cheerfully, "Is Kai ready to go?"

"Not quite, Houston. He's got a bit of jet lag this morning, so he's running here from my house."

"Jet lag, huh?" There was skepticism in his voice. He tried to accept that at face value, but he could see that C.J. had a radiance about her that he recognized as the had-a-lot-of-great-sex-last-night glow. But he sucked it up and hid his disappointment that he wasn't the one who gave her that glow.

She didn't care if he didn't believe it, it was partly true, so she continued, "He should be here any minute, he'll need to take a quick shower and then he'll be ready to go." The two of them moved into the office and over to the bar so Houston could get some coffee.

Unbeknownst to them, Chris immediately picked up the phone and dialed downstairs to tell the other secretaries what she had just heard. They hadn't believed her when she told them about Kai, now they could see for themselves.

A little while later, C.J. was over at BABY looking up information on Kai's cousin Makoa, and his known friends in L.A., when the elevator door dinged and then opened. She heard Kai say, "Good morning, Chris." And Chris mumbled something incoherent. She shook her head; she was going to have to have a talk with that girl. C.J. turned to see Kai in his running shorts that showed off his muscular thighs, but no shirt, showing off his gleaming, inked torso. They hadn't done any canoodling this morning so she could get her run in before heading to work, but she was going to make sure they made up for it tonight. "You made it." She said with a smile.

Kai was a little out of breath, "Yeah. It was a good run." He jutted his thumb out to where Chris was sitting, "Is she OK?"

C.J. shook her head and smiled, "No. No, not at all." But she could see how looking at Kai dressed like he was could do that to a girl. She was going to have to make sure Chris didn't find her way downstairs while Kai showered. The sight of him in his birthday suit would send her to the ER.

Then Kai looked over at the bar to see Houston, "Good morning." Kai knew after yesterday's encounter with Houston, that Houston didn't like him very much. He was going to prove to C.J.'s best friend that he didn't see her as just another piece of tail; that he really liked and cared about her.

Houston returned the greeting, "Good morning, would you like a cup of coffee?" He was going to be nice to this guy if it killed him, because he knew C.J. would kill _him_ if he wasn't.

"Nah, I could use some water though." Houston moved behind the bar and filled a glass for Kai and handed it to him, "Thanks, dude."

C.J. stood up and said, "Come on, Kai, I'll show you where the shower is. I already put your clothes down there."

Houston had a sudden vision of them having shower sex and said, "I can show him, C.J. You just keep doing what you're doing." Kai followed Houston downstairs.

As they descended the stairs Kai said, "Sweet gym, dude! No wonder you're in such great shape!"

Houston looked at him trying to read his face, "Thanks. I try to work out everyday." He didn't detect any insincerity in Kai's demeanor. He pointed to the towel rack by the shower, "The towels are right there and it looks like C.J. put your clothes..." He looked around and spotted his closet open and clothes that were not his on a hanger on the door, "Back here. Just let me know when you're ready to go."

He smiled, "Don't worry, I'll make it quick."

%%%%%%%

After Kai had showered and dressed, Houston was downstairs putting the towels and Kai's running shorts and socks in the washer. As he was coming up the stairs, he spotted what appeared to be 15 secretaries looking out to the patio where Kai and C.J. were talking. He slowly stepped backwards down the stairs. He was curious to hear what these other women thought of Kai. He was in no way prepared for how women talked when they didn't think a man was listening in.

A secretary with a British accent said, "Oh, do I hope she's letting him give her lady bits a right proper jostling."

"Do you see how they're looking at each other? It's more a matter of how many times he's properly jostled her lady bits," Another stated.

Voices overlapped at this point and snippets of, "I'll bet he's got a nice thick...", "I wonder if he has tattoos there, too...", "Ooo, I'd love to see it angry..." and, "I'll bet it can touch your womb..." were heard. The last one was something Houston had never heard before.

Until someone added, "With him, wall sex is a possibility for sure."

A fourth asked, "What's wall sex?"

"You know where he holds you up against the wall… and does you."

Another agreed, "Oh, yeah. Did you see him in his running shorts? He definitely can do that."

Chris added wistfully, "Oh! They would make beautiful babies!"

Murmurs of "They would be gorgeous!" went around.

"At the very least, they'd have a lot of fun trying," giggled another.

Chris stated, "I, for one, am happy for her. She could use a bit of good luck in the romance department. Between Carl being murdered and Robert being a psycho…"

Someone else chimed in, "And it's never gone anywhere with Mr. Houston, because 'We're just friends, that's the way we want it'…" She had to be one of the secretaries that had worked up on this floor before he handed the business over to Murray.

The phone rang and Chris said, "I have to get that." And he heard her footsteps moving down the stairs toward the reception desk.

A new voice said, "More like the way _he_ wants it. Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?"

The previous secretary said, "But I don't think they've ever had sex…"

She explained, "In his case the milk is all the emotional support she gives him. Always there when he's in the hospital or hurt, always here at all hours whenever he _demands_ she be here…"

Some other voice added, "Even made her cancel her vacations to be here to work. Like she doesn't put in more than enough time and energy into her job. She's definitely his beck and call girl…"

The secretary from a minute ago added, "And he's stood her up SO many times when they had plans, just to chase some woman or a lead or _whatever_, shoved her to the side when his uncle joined the firm…"

Another continued, "I heard he even used her house to shack up with that horrible fiancée of his. So low class."

The first one agreed, "Yep. The way he parades his cavalcade of conquests in front of her. I feel bad for her. Friends or no..."

The British one said, "I do hope he hasn't shagged any of them on the couch where she has to sit to work on the computer. Ew!"

A different woman added, "Well, I would think that'd be a rule."

And yet another voice asked, "With him? Like he'd respect her enough not to."

The British woman added, "She's better off with the island god, at least he seems to actually adore her."

Just then Houston heard C.J. say, "Ladies, let's break it up. I know ya'll have work to do." He went over and sat on the weight bench as she came down the stairs. "Houston?" He didn't respond. She saw him sitting with a dejected look on his face.

He knew everything the women had said was true, and it made him feel terrible. Why would he treat his best friend like that?

She sat next to him and asked, "What's wrong?"

He couldn't look at her. He said slowly, "C.J., have you ever heard the hard truth about yourself? Heard it from a perspective that you hadn't considered before? Then you realize that you don't like that person that they are describing?"

It took her only a moment to put it together, "Were the secretaries being 'mean girls'?"

He continued to look down and shook his head, "No, they were being honest. I was the proverbial fly on the wall."

She had concern in her voice, "What did they say?"

He quavered his head, "Nothing that you don't already know about me, and yet you still think of me as your friend."

She reached over and stroked his cheek, "I'm guessing they were listing what they perceive as your faults? Especially where we're concerned?" He nodded, and she put an arm around his shoulder and took his hand in her other hand and said sincerely, "They don't know you like I do. They don't understand us and they never will."

"They've seen enough to form a very accurate picture. And it made me realize that I don't understand us." He still couldn't look at her.

She changed tactics, "Who was it who faced Castanos to save me from being brutally murdered by him?"

He sighed, "Me."

"Who was it who put their reputation on the line and lied about what he saw, so he could get me off that island and away from Duval?"

He reluctantly said, "Me." Then quickly added, "But it was my fault you were in either of those positions in the first place."

She reminded him, "Houston, who was it who defended me against that mean kid on my first day at the new school when we were 10? You. Who was it who ate the first cake I ever made, and even though it was _terrible_, asked for a second piece? You. Who was it, in high school, who walloped Jimmy Stallworth after Jimmy started a rumor that he and I went all the way when we hadn't?"

He grinned, "Me, and he had it comin'."

She continued, "Who was it, on my eighteenth birthday, after I had had more than enough beer to drink at my party, told me _not_ to switch to shots of the various flavors of schnapps that were going around?"

He smirked at the memory and raised his index finger.

Then her voice became disgusted at the memory, "And who was it, after I ignored his sound advice, held my hair back while I threw up my birthday dinner into his _tub_?"

He raised his finger again.

She hung her head down, "Into the _tub_, Houston! Yuuch! Not even into the toilet like a normal human being…" She shuddered at the thought of it, "And who cleaned up my mess, and took care of me the rest of the night?"

He raised two fingers this time.

She bumped him with her body, "And who was it who risked getting grounded because," She imitated Bill's voice, "'In this house, son, we don't share a bed with a woman we're not married to', but let me sleep in his bed and sat right next to me anyway?"

He raised his hand at the wrist and added, "But Daddy always liked you, so he didn't mind too much when he saw us." Houston had made sure to leave his door open, so when his Daddy looked in he could see that he and C.J. were fully dressed. He had shrugged and said, "Daddy, I couldn't let her go home like this." Bill just shook his head and said, "Alright, son," before smiling and walking away.

She shook her head, "But still… AND the next morning, when I was hungover..."

He emphasized, "HungOVER"

She shook her head, "SO hungOVER, who let me sleep it off in his bed, then made me tea and toast and never once said, 'I told you so'?"

Another raise of the hand.

Now C.J. was becoming emotional, "Who, when I was sad and missing my parents, would take me fishing or riding to try to cheer me up? You. Who sat by my bedside every chance he got when I was in the hospital after I was shot the first time? You. Who was it who gave up his freedom to get me to the hospital when I was shot the second time? You. Who was it who dropped everything, losing a girlfriend in the process, to come and find me when he knew I _had to be_ in trouble? Knew me so well, that he knew I wouldn't have _not_ checked in with him like I said I would. That was you and no one else."

She swallowed hard, a tear trickling down her cheek, and continued, "Whose voice was it that kept me from slipping away into the abyss in that lighthouse? Yours." She reached over and put her hand on his cheek, and rested her chin on his shoulder, "And who _still_ has my favorite face in the whole world?"

He chuckled at that last one, "Me?"

She smiled and then took his hand again and squeezed it, "Yeah, pal, it's you. So, no matter what faults they may have shown you… They don't matter to me because, we've been friends a long time and have been through _so much_ together. I know you better than they _ever will_. And let's face it, you put up with my faults, too."

He thought about it for a moment, looked at her, then asked, "What faults do you have?" He really couldn't think of any at the moment. He reached over to brush the tears off her cheeks.

She made a face and admitted, "Well, I do tend to over pack when we're taking overseas trips." Remembering the eight suitcases she had packed for their two week trip to Singapore.

He clicked his tongue and smiled, "You are 'contingency girl', aren't you?"

She laughed, "I _do_ like to plan for any possible situation; various types of weather, formal, informal, and all the shoes to go with those outfits… It's a problem. I've checked and there are _no_ 12 step programs for it."

He grinned as he stood up and pulled her up with him, "First step is admitting that there's a problem." Then he kissed her lightly on the lips before hugging her. "Come on, I've kept Kai waiting long enough." As he lead her by the hand up the stairs, he realized that she was right, no one would ever understand their deep friendship, but it didn't matter because they were the only ones who really needed to.


	5. Chapter 5

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

As Houston was landing the helicopter at the office, he could see that C.J. was waiting for him. After he cut the engine, he got out and walked over to her. He could see she had a perturbed look on her face, so he started before she could, "Hiya, C.J., now don't you worry about Kai. I gave him the keys to the truck…

Her voice was irritated, "Houston…"

He plowed on trying to allay her fears, "AND Murray set up an account at the local hardware store so he can buy whatever he needs to do the jobs on the list…"

She said in a clipped tone, "Houston…"

"C.J. don't you worry. The fridge is fully stocked with food and drink and I had Murray open an account at the local diner in case he's not in the mood for what's in the fridge…"

"Houston" She paused, her demeanor changed, then she said, "Thank you. That's very sweet of you."

Then her face had changed back to irritated, so he asked, "Then, C.J., why do you look upset?"

"Because…" she hissed, before she could continue, she was interrupted by a short, overweight man, wearing a white suit, a brightly colored pink shirt with a matching pink stripped tie and pocket square, and a brimmed white hat.

Then the familiar voice said, "Ah, Sundance! Butch here was just telling me you were on your way back."

C.J. narrowed her eyes, leaned into Houston and whispered, "He sets one foot in my office again and I'll kill him."

Houston saw that she meant it, and took a hold of her arm to keep her from doing anything rash. He looked at the man and said, "J. Hamilton Goodfellow, what brings you here? The last time we saw you, you were going back to whatever hole you crawled out of, never to return to my offices again."

A few years ago, when an old family friend and former chef for the Houston family was accused of murder, Mr. Goodfellow, a tough food critic, was in fear for his life and so took up residence in C.J.'s office after snidely insulting her repeatedly. C.J. wanted to hurt him then, and Houston couldn't blame her, but his cooler head prevailed and Mr. Goodfellow moved out once the real culprit was caught. He also had expensive tastes when it came to food and he charged all the catering to Houston Inc. much to the dismay of Murray.

Hamilton sneered, "Well, Sundance, that _was_ the plan."

Still keeping a firm grip on C.J. he asked, "What changed?"

He eyed C.J. disdainfully, "As I'm sure your secretary, Butch, here…"

She tried to take a step toward him but Houston's grip and his other arm moving in front of her stopped her. She seethed at him, "As I have told you repeatedly, I am NOT his secretary! I'm his lawyer and business partner."

He dismissed her with the wave of his hand, "Yes, whatever. I'm here because once again someone is trying to kill me…"

C.J. said coolly, "Good." No one had ever gotten the normally calm, cool and collected C.J. Parsons riled up like Mr. Goodfellow, and he was doing it again. But this time he seemed to be getting under her skin even more. Probably because of all of the things she had been through in the intervening time.

Mr. Goodfellow ignored that, "So, I thought, Sundance and Butch did such a wonderful job the last time, I will let them help me again."

She lunged at him, "LET US? LET us help YOU?! Listen here you…"

Houston had to lock his arm around her waist to prevent her from taking Hamilton to the ground. He was still trying to be polite though, "OooK. OK, C.J. and I are going to have a little chat about this." As he maneuvered her inside, he told Hamilton, "Make yourself comfortable… This might take a while."

Once in the office, he saw Uncle Roy sitting at C.J.'s desk working on the computer. After closing the door he blocked it with his body, then said, "You want to tell me what's going on?"

She was still seething, "That blowhard showed up about 30 minutes after you left, and he's been obnoxious ever since…" She was in no mood to suffer him even for a minute.

In an even tone, Houston said, "C.J. just calm down."

She became enraged, "CALM DOWN?! Calm down?! Oh, this is about to be a double homicide…"

Before she could continue, Houston put up a hand and asked, "Did he say why he thought someone was trying to kill him?"

She looked offended by the question, "I _don't_ care! You know what? I'm going to save whoever it is the trouble and kill him myself." She had endured over 90 minutes of Mr. Goodfellow's insults and was done being nice; rich, possible client or no.

"No, you're not, C.J." He then looked over to Roy, "Uncle Roy, do you know what's going on?"

He didn't look away from the computer and in a rather bored tone he replied, "Yes, he seems to think someone is trying to kill him."

Houston shook his head, "Yeah, I got that much. Did he say why he thought that?"

As the two men talked, C.J. was picking items up off her desk, holding them, bouncing them in her hand, then putting them back down again.

Roy was still busy at the computer, and writing something down on a piece of paper, "He's given several very bad reviews recently, then he received death threats in the mail, and some phone calls."

Houston pondered for a moment, "Hmmm, I'll check with Hoyt and see if we can pull his phone records."

Roy looked to and away from the computer as he wrote on a second piece of paper, he added, "Already did that. He said he would look into it."

Houston noticed what C.J. was doing, "C.J., what are you looking for?"

She snarled, "I'm looking for the blunt object that will be exhibit A at my murder trial."

As he reached for envelopes, Roy said flatly, "You'll need something heavier than your stapler."

"Good point." She spied the billiard balls and walked quickly over and grabbed the 8 ball.

Houston felt like he was in some sort of weird dream, and tried to reason with her, "C.J., you cannot kill the man with an 8 ball."

She paused and nodded, "You're right. Too cliché. I'll use the 13, then we'll see if it's his unlucky number." She exchanged the balls and moved back to toward the door.

Since C.J. seemed to be listening to Roy, Houston pleaded, "Uncle Roy, could you help here?"

Not looking away from the computer, and still with a flat tone, "C.J., he'll never let you close enough to bludgeon him with it and I wouldn't advise throwing it."

She thought about that, then said, "You're right, I might miss. I'll keep looking." Then she spotted the pool cues and smiled. She grabbed one and started taking practice swings. Houston looked up to the heavens silently asking for help.

Roy heard the whooshing, and looked over his shoulder, "No, dear. You're gonna to want to hold the light end and hit him with the heavy end." She turned it around and swung again, but then he said, "You're gonna want to choke up on that or it'll snap in half before you really get started."

After she adjusted her grip, she took another swing, smiled and said, "Thank you, Uncle Roy!"

He looked back at the computer, "Don't mention it, dear." Houston stared at him in dismay.

She moved toward the door again but Houston was still blocking it, with and exasperated tone she informed him, "You know, I can just go to the other door." And she turned to walk in the direction of it, but Houston grabbed her from behind and lifted her off her feet. "PUT ME DOWN, HOUSTON!" she yelled as she struggled to break free from his grip.

She was kicking hard and swinging the pool cue, so Houston was struggling to keep from being knocked to the floor by her erratic movements, "I could use some help here!"

Roy turned the swivel chair to face them, "C.J., are you and Kai going to get married any time soon?"

Both C.J. and Houston froze. Neither could believe he asked that question but for different reasons. They both looked at him and asked simultaneously, "What?!"

Roy elaborated, "Do I need to get my tux ready, pick out a wedding gift, get the strippers for the bachelor party… Are you two getting married any time soon?" While she was distracted, Houston wrenched the pool cue from her hand and dropped it on the floor.

She was too busy thinking about what Roy had asked to really notice, "What? No…" She was stunned that he would even think that they might be. "No, we're a _long_ way from that… And for the record, there will be NO strippers at the bachelor party."

Just then Mr. Goodfellow opened the door, took a step inside, and looked mildly shocked at the scene, "What _are_ you doing?" Then he waved his hand to indicate not to bother answering, "Never mind, I need all three of you out of here so I can have my bed moved in."

As C.J. renewed her efforts to get out of Houston's grip, she yelled, "Get OUT of my office!"

Houston said as calmly as he could while holding the squirming C.J. and trying to dodge her attempts at headbutting him, "Not now, Goodfellow. Please just wait out there, get yourself a drink, and close the door after you." After the door was shut, Houston pleaded again, "Uncle Roy, could you be of some _actual_ help here?"

He sighed, "C.J., when I worked for the company there were several types of poisons that were untraceable in an autopsy."

C.J. stopped squirming and looked at him, "I'm listening." Houston was still not setting her on her feet, knowing that she could go off again at any moment.

He looked at her and asked, "Now if I told you where you could get such an item, would you promise not to use it on him for at least 48 hours?"

She thought about it and weighed her options aloud, "If I poisoned him, he'd be dead so… I really don't want him in my office again… Just have to wait 48 hours… And you say it's untraceable in an autopsy?" Roy nodded.

Houston set her on her feet, turned her around and kept his hands on her arms, "The two of you cannot be serious!"

She asked, "Are you going to let him take over my office again?"

Houston began, "C.J. for a client…"

She narrowed her eyes, "Then I'm serious." She looked at Uncle Roy, "Where do I get this 'item'?"

Roy looked at her seriously, "Now, I want you to give me your solemn word that if I tell you where to get it, you'll not use it for 48 hours."

She stood there pondering for a few moments, then stated calmly, "I promise, that if I get this item, I won't use it for 48 hours."

Roy handed her two envelopes, "Take this first one to the address that's on it. Ask for Emiliano and tell him you want formula 127 and a number 6. After you get it then open the second envelope. It's self-explanatory."

She looked at the envelopes and said, "Thanks, Uncle Roy."

"Anytime, my dear." He reached into her desk drawer and pulled out her purse, "Don't forget this." After she took it, and put the envelopes in it; she walked toward the door. He looked at Houston who could not believe what he witnessed, "You're going to want to escort her in case she has a change of heart on the way to the elevator." Houston dashed after her.

When Houston returned, he started pacing and rubbing his forehead with his thumb. "I don't know where to start."

Roy was amused, "Well, boy, start with what's really bothering you first."

Houston stopped pacing and said, "First, I thought you were going to be _my_ wing-man. How is asking her if she and Kai are going to get married being a wing-man for me?"

There was surprise in Roy's voice, "I am your wing-man. And now you know."

Houston shook his head, "Know what?!"

Roy sighed, "Son, think not only about her answer, but her tone and demeanor when she answered." He paused while Houston replayed that in his mind, then saw the realization dawn on him, "See, you haven't lost her yet. Now you know. And you know she doesn't want strippers at your bachelor party. You're welcome."

Houston nodded, "Yes, thank you. OK, now for my second concern – You're really sending her off to get poison to kill this guy?" He gestured toward the outer office as he said this.

Roy waved his hand, "Don't be ridiculous. Son, in all my years, I have learned that you will never get anywhere with an angry woman by telling her to 'Be reasonable' or, even worse, 'Calm down'. That one just sets them off even more, as you saw." He paused and added, "I have to say after all of the women you've been with, I'm surprised you don't know something so fundamental." He shook his head and continued, "Anyway… So, I sent her to an Argentinian restaurant to get what she'll happily think is poison, formula 127, but is really amaro. It's a slightly bitter alcohol you mix with cola."

Houston realized that that was the smart play in this situation. Get her out of the office, away from Goodfellow, and on a mission. Good plan, but then he had to ask, "Ok, so what's the number 6?"

He smiled, "Chivito sandwich. It's delicious, she'll love it."

Puzzled he asked, "Then what was in the second envelope?"

Roy put it simply, "The name and address of Makoa's friend here in L.A."

Houston gestured with one hand, "Wait! You sent her out to meet some shady characters by herself?"

Roy nodded, "She can handle herself. If she's not back her in 2 hours, I'll go look for her. Now, let's go out and talk with Mr. Goodfellow."

Houston held up his hand, "Hold on, what did he say that got her so riled up?"

"Well, Matlock, I only caught snippets, but things like, 'you're a handsome woman', 'Butch is a name that really suits you', something about 'you'd look prettier if you lost a few pounds', and 'better not wait too long or your ovaries will be as dry as the cake at Chez Louis'. You know, all the things women _love_ to hear."

Houston recoiled after each statement, then said, "Remind me to give her a bonus after this is all done."

Roy snickered, "I'm sure Kai's giving her allll the bonus she needs."

He opened the door and as Roy passed him he said, "Great wing-man, thanks."


	6. Chapter 6

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

By the time C.J. got back to the office several hours later, she had calmed down considerably. She wasn't sure exactly what came over her earlier. Goodfellow shouldn't have gotten to her the way he did. She tried being polite to him, but he was just being a thousand percent more insufferable than the last time. Maybe it was because a couple of the things he said, while rude, struck a few chords with her. Chords she had been pushing way down for a while now.

The chivito sandwich was delicious, and she knew before she agreed to wait 48 hours to use "formula 127" that whatever it was, it wasn't poison. At that moment, it just had made her feel better that she was being given some sort of option, even a ridiculous one. On her drive back to the office she had a long talk with herself and was determined to not let it happen again. Harvard trained lawyers do NOT be have like that. As the elevator doors opened, Roy was about to enter, then stopped when he saw her and waited. She knew he was waiting for her reaction, so she gave him a big smile as she stepped off, then said, "Thanks for the number 6, Uncle Roy." She showed him the bag with the boxed leftovers.

He returned the smile, "You're welcome. Come on, you can tell us what you found out."

As they walked up the steps to the office, she could see Houston was working on BABY. He turned and looked at her apprehensively, "How are you feeling?"

Looking remorseful, she took a deep breath, "Sorry. It was _very_ unprofessional of me to act like that." She bit her lip then looked away from him toward her office. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again." She was feeling embarrassed the more she thought of what she did and said. Then she walked behind the bar to put her leftovers in the fridge. It was unusually disorganized, so to stall, she started to rearrange the items on the shelves.

Houston knew she was ashamed of her actions and that was why she was lingering behind the bar longer than she would normally. He got up and walked over to where she was, leaning against the wall and watched her rearranging the bottles, and other items. She was avoiding eye contact with him, so he said, "C.J., it's OK. Uncle Roy told me what he heard of the awful things Goodfellow was saying to you." She looked up at him, biting her lip, she was about to speak, but he continued, "And I'm surprised you hadn't slugged him before I got back." She gave him a weak smile and he continued, "While you were gone, I decided that you won't have to deal with Goodfellow again."

She went back to the fridge, and said as casually as she could, "But if he's in my office…"

Roy stated, "We sent him to the safe-house and told him that he wasn't to leave."

She poked her head out from behind the fridge door, "What safe-house?"

"The one off of the 406. The one I told him was owned by the company." She still looked puzzled, but before she could ask, Roy smiled and added, "It's a cheap motel. But he doesn't need to know that."

Houston was smiling, too, "Yeah, Uncle Roy and I thought it would take some of the hot air and snootiness out of him… At least for a little while, while we figure out who's threatening him. And no one who knows him will ever think to look for him there."

C.J. looked at both of them and grinned, "You might want to start with his soon to be ex-wife, Terri." When they first met Goodfellow he was engaged to a ditsy blonde bomb-shell named Terri Anton. They were not what anyone would have considered a good match, couple-wise. They were opposites in every aspect; physicality, intellectually, temperament, and the list went on and on.

Houston said, "We were going to interview her in a bit. Why do you think it's her?"

She went back to cleaning the fridge, "While I was waiting for my order there was a Spanish language local paper on the table turned to the food section. There was one of those couple pictures of them ripped apart, you know how they do them." They both murmured in agreement, "The article was about how they had been married such a short time and were now headed for divorce. I guess she's contesting the pre-nup. All of the restaurants that have a mostly Spanish speaking clientele are hoping that this will take the wind out of his sails and he'll be nicer in his reviews. They think that could be why they are not getting a lot of new business. Especially from non-Hispanic clientele."

Roy remarked, "I didn't know you could read Spanish."

She shrugged, "A little, the waiter was kind enough to tell me the parts I couldn't make out." She knew she should stop rearranging the fridge, but couldn't find the confidence to take a step near Houston, since it was only a few hours ago she was trying to headbutt him, so she busied herself with checking the boxed items. She made a face at one of them.

Houston said, "Here, hand it to me, and I'll toss it." She did and he covered her hand with his left hand, which made her look at him. His chocolate brown eyes were looking at her warmly. He took the box with his right hand and threw it in the trash, not releasing her hand from his left. He said softly, "Come on." She shut the door and he pulled her to him and hugged her. She hugged him back and he whispered, "It's OK, C.J. No harm done." He kissed her on the forehead before releasing her from the hug, and then leading her over to BABY while still holding her hand. "What did you find out about Makoa?"

"Well, after finding his friend's apartment, nobody home, the neighbor told me where he worked, so I headed over there. Baby Ray said that he hasn't seen Makoa in a few days."

Roy asked, "Did you believe him?"

She made a noncommittal noise, "Not sure that I did, but he reeked of pot, so he may not have been truthful if he thought I was going to get Makoa in trouble. I tried telling him that I was helping his cousin find him, just to be sure that he was OK, but I don't think he believed me."

Houston thought for a second, "Maybe we need to stake out his apartment this evening. See if he shows up."

C.J. shook her head, "Let me try finding out more information on Baby Ray before we do that. That'll give you and Uncle Roy time to interview Terri."

He nodded, "OK, we'll head out and do that now."

C.J. added, "Alright, I'm going to call Kai and make sure he has everything he needs. Did you give him directions back to my house from the ranch?"

Houston cringed inwardly, he was hoping to just leave Kai out there, but said, "No, I figured I'd fly out and bring him back, but it might be a good idea if he just keeps the truck, so I don't have to fly out and back every day. Tonight, I plan on going to the condo and start packing up my things."

She offered, "Need any help?"

Uncle Roy interjected, "I was planning on giving him a hand with that."

She smiled, "OK, then I will see you two in the morning."

Houston said, "You know, C.J., I was thinking of having a housewarming party. You know, invite the some of the hardworking folks from downstairs to come out and enjoy the ranch."

She grinned, "That sounds like fun. Were you thinking of anything in particular?"

He started moving past the spa and toward the doors, "Oh, you know, some Texas barbecue, games, music, that type of thing and since you are so good at planning those sorts of things…"

She shook her head, why was it she was always in charge of putting his shindigs together? Men. She gave him a look then asked, "Did you have a date in mind?"

He was making his way down the steps with Roy, "The barn is supposed to be done in about two weeks, so pick a Saturday after that." He knew he shouldn't ask her to do it, but she was so good at planning these things. Even his almost wedding was put together so fast because of her.

She stood up so she could see him as he made his way to the elevator, she hollered, "OK, I will get Chris to help me with that. Speaking of the barn, are Bo and Lamar moving back here to help with the ranch again, or will you need to hire some new hands?"

He said, "I left a message for them, but haven't heard back yet. I'll let you know."

She added, "Alright. Be safe, you two." Then she went to the phone to call Kai. She was mentally planning a nice candle lit dinner for two for them this evening as she dialed.

%%%%

That Sunday, after a few days of no new leads on either case, and Terri being completely uncooperative; Roy and Houston were out at the ranch carrying boxes into the house from the pickup truck, when a car pulled up. They stopped to see who it might be, when out of the car stepped Will.

Roy put down his box and went over to hug his son. It had been several months since they had seen each other, because Will was off exploring the USA. He was taking the time he needed to recover from his 12-year imprisonment in Vietnam and Cambodia, and his subsequent suicide attempt after his return. "Great to see you, Dad."

Roy held the hug longer and said, "How are you, son?"

"Good, Dad. I'm good." He then turned to get a hug from Houston, "Matt, how are you? Got your old place back, I hear. I got a little lost getting here; took a couple of, OK a _bunch_ of, wrong turns." Then he laughed.

Houston was so happy to see Will looking well, "I'm doing great. How did you…" Will had never been to the ranch, only over to the condo when he returned from his captivity.

"C.J." He smiled, "I called all over looking for either of you. Finally got a hold of C.J. and she told me where to find you." He looked around, "Big house! But you and Uncle Bill never went small, did ya'?" He said it with a laugh as he slapped Houston on the back.

He laughed, "Nah, we're Texans through and through. Why don't you go grab yourself something to drink?"

Will shook his head, "I can help you unload and get a look around at the same time."

They all grabbed boxes and headed into the house. After several trips, Will noticed two people running up the road. They caught the attention of Roy and Houston, too. Roy said, "I think it's C.J. and Kai."

As they neared, Houston could see that it was indeed them. No mistaking Kai's tattoos. C.J. was wearing a pink tank top and running shorts, which showed more of her legs than the shorts she normally wore. He was mesmerized by her legs and how tone they were and how tone her arms were, too. Her face was beautiful even when she was exerting herself and gleaming with sweat. He was starting to have thoughts of helping her out of her clothes and into the shower, soaping up her supple body... Those ideas made the beast within him very happy.

Just then Will said, "Holy crap, that guy is HOT!" Roy and Houston looked at him with raised eyebrows, he shook off their looks, "What? I'm not gay, but… Damn! I can see why she'd be attracted to him. How long have they been an item?"

Before he could stop himself, Houston blurted out, "They're not an item. She met him in Hawaii a while ago. They're just friends." He didn't convince anyone with that last sentence. Not even himself.

Before anyone could reply, C.J. dashed up and said happily, "Will!" He went to hug her, but she stepped back, "Nooo, I'm all sweaty."

Will shook his head, "I don't care! Give me a hug, girl!" So, they hugged and C.J. smiled at Roy and Houston. He stepped back and took her bicep between his fingers, "Holy cow, girl! You've got some muscles on you! Where did you run from?"

Out of breath she said, "From my house. It's a little further than the sixteen and a half we were supposed to do today, but… Oh! Will, this is Kai. Kai, this is Roy's son, Will, I was telling you about earlier."

Kai smiled and shook his hand, "Dude! Good to meet you! C.J. told me you've been seeing this great country of ours."

"Yeah, I like some parts better than others." He was staring at the tattoos that started at Kai's shoulders and went down each arm as well as down his torso past the line of his jogging shorts. He smiled, "Nice tats."

He looked down at them, "Aw, thanks, Dude! They're traditional tribal tattoos, even had them put on the traditional way."

The men looked stunned. Roy said, "With a sharpened bamboo needle tapping the ink in by hand?! That had to hurt!"

Kai laughed, "If you're going to get tattoos that symbolize strength and bravery, might as well do it the brave way. It took a while, but I like the results." He looked at Houston, "Bro, did you like the paint jobs in the bedrooms?"

Houston nodded, "Yeah, you did a great job. I would never have guessed that one bedroom had been all black." Kai had truly done masterful work painting the rooms.

He shook his head and let out a breath, "Whoo! That one was rough! C.J. picked out the color, I would have gone a bit darker, but…" He saw C.J. giving him the side eye, so he changed the subject, "And I'm going to start on the fence line tomorrow. Can I use one of the three wheelers to check it out? I want to make sure I get enough materials so I don't have to make a lot of trips to the hardware store."

Houston had an idea, "Actually, since Will showed up, I was thinking we could all have lunch, then we can go check them out together." This would give them time alone so he could really assess Kai and his intentions.

Kai nodded, "Sounds good." He looked at C.J. and said, "Babe, what room did you put my clothes in?"

Houston didn't hear the answer because the beast within him was screaming, _"BABE?! BABE?! You don't get to call her babe! Stick to 'Nani Uhane', whatever it means. I'll punch you right in those tats of yours if you call her babe again! She's not your…"_ He didn't come out of his head until he heard Will laughing. When he looked around C.J. and Kai were no longer standing there.

Will leaned over, grinning, and said, "Uh, oh, Cuz. What happened to 'We're just good friends?' Looks like someone's had a change of heart."

Houston looked stunned. How is it that everyone who was close to him could read him so well? And how is it that C.J. hadn't read his thoughts by now?

Roy said quietly, "He has, but I'll tell you more about it later."

%%%%%%

After lunch, Will, C.J. and Roy were sitting at the patio table having a nice chat while Houston and Kai were checking the fences. Roy had filled Will in on the Houston/C.J. situation and Will wanted to help, so he rather abruptly looked at C.J. and asked, "So are you and Kai making the beast with two backs?"

Both C.J. and Roy looked aghast. Roy, being old fashioned, said sternly, "Son, we don't ask questions like that, especially of a lady." He didn't care if it was the 1980's, there were some standards that should be upheld.

Will didn't take his eyes off of C.J. He loved that he was getting her face to go flush with his question. "You don't. I do. And I asked it as metaphorically as I could. Sooo?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Still shocked at his candid question, C.J. said, "Will! I'm not going to answer that and your father doesn't want to hear about it either way."

Smiling, Will jutted his thumb in the direction of the house, "Dad, go inside, because I have numerous questions and I will be asking them until I get an answer." He paused to give his dad time to leave, when he didn't move, Will started ticking the questions off on his fingers, "One, do his tats go all the way down to his no-no place? Two, how big is it and how good is he with it?" He paused, "Technically, that was two questions. Anyway, three, or four, does he make you come hard?"

The last one really caught her off guard. Even more shocked, she exclaimed, "WILL! OH, MY GOD! What has gotten into you?!"

Roy stood up as quickly as he could, "I'm going in the house; anyone need a refresher on their drink?" He left before either could answer. Roy knew Will was serious about not letting up until he got his answers, and he knew it was pointless to try and lecture him about good manners.

He grinned broadly, "I wanna know if he's gotten _it_ into you." When her reply was to turn red, drop her head, and put her hand on her forehead hiding her face, he continued, "Alright, that's not a 'no'… You're not a one-night stand girl, at least you weren't in the old days, so how serious are you about this guy?"

With her hand still on her forehead, she practically whimpered, "Why? Why? Why?" She did not want to get into this with him. She forgot how, before they went off to war and she to college, he enjoyed making her blush. And even though her answers would have been: yes, big, very good, and oh, god yes – she was never going to tell him that. She knew those answers would find their way back to Houston, and the teasing she would have to endure… No, thanks.

He said brightly, "Because we're friends. I want to be sure he's making you happy in all areas of your life." Which was true. He also knew the best way to get the truth out of someone was to throw them off guard. The more outrageous the initial questions are, the more likely a person will be to answer more of the tamer ones afterward.

She sighed then looked at him, her face still flushed, "I like him… a lot. He's sweet and thoughtful and joyful. He's not a sociopath. The Novelli's like him, and he likes and cares about me. But I'm not sure if I'm ready for anything more. Geography being a big factor." Then she waggled her index finger at him, "And I will not answer any of those other questions. OK?"

He was still grinning, "It'll do for now." He looked at her then said, "I have to say, that when I first saw Matt in that pit in the prison camp, when I was asking about everyone, I asked if he had married you."

Astounded that he would even think about asking that question, she asked, "You did?"

He said sincerely, "Yeah, and I was surprised he said that you were 'just good friends.' I really thought the two of you would end up hitched. I honestly thought you loved each other." This was going to be his segue into cluing her in on his cousin's true feelings about her.

Emotions hit her hard and she looked away, trying to hide the pain she knew was in her eyes, and said softly, "I do, but he doesn't love me. He never has." She tried not to think about all the women that Houston had claimed to love, and how she couldn't figure out why she never stacked up to them. Especially after she had told him that she loved him. The self-doubt in her told her that there must be something fundamentally wrong with her in his eyes. She looked over and saw the pity on Will's face, so she then took a deep breath, smiled weakly and added, "So we're good friends."

Will was almost sorry he told her, because her deeply honest reaction made him sad for her. It clearly caused her pain and that she wished it could be different, but resigned herself to be a good friend to him anyway. But maybe Matt didn't know. That must be it; she never expressed her feelings to him. "Did you ever tell him that?"

She looked away again. She didn't know why she was revealing this to him, she had never told anyone, but she wanted to tell someone. "Yes, but he didn't respond." She was trying to breathe deeply so as not to allow her emotions about the situation overwhelm her.

Will was befuddled, "He didn't say _anything_?"

She shook her head, and said barely above a whisper, "Not a word. From that day to this." She swallowed hard, and added, softly, "So that's an answer in and of itself, isn't it?"

Suddenly, he was mad at his cousin. How dare he hurt this sweet woman like that? Playboy lifestyle be damned. C.J. was a good woman, and those are not easy to come by. How could Matt push away her love like that? Will decided he wasn't going to tell her what he had learned earlier; that Matt really did love her and always had. No, Matt dug himself into a hole, he could damn well try and get himself out of it before Kai completely beguiled her. Now, he was almost rooting for Kai.

He touched her arm, and said earnestly, "He's an idiot. And if Kai makes you happy, then go for it. None of us are getting any younger."

She was happy that she at least had Will support, then smirked and responded to his last statement, "Thanks?"

He laughed, "You're welcome. Now, let's go inside and help Dad with the drinks."

%%%%%%%

Houston and Kai had worked their way along the fence line, stopping to make note of what needed repaired and making idol chit-chat along the way. They were at the back of the property, when Kai asked, "So, bro, what kind of security cameras are you putting back here? Are you going to put them up in the trees or put up special poles for them? I have a buddy, who's a Navy Seal, and he was telling me about cameras with night vision, so even if it's dark you can see what's going on."

Houston thought about it and chuckled, "We're not going to have so many cattle that we'll have to worry about rustlers."

Kai paused then said warily, "Yeah, but C.J. has told me about all of the bad folks you've put away. I would think that, revenge-wise, hitting you at home would be a priority for them. You know, because your guard's down, relaxed, feeling safe. If you had some sort of surveillance system out this far, then you could prepare for them before they got to the house."

Houston was stunned. He hadn't ever really thought about it like that. It hadn't even been a consideration when he lived here before. "You know, you're right. I put surveillance cameras up at the office and they had them for the condos, but I never really considered it for the ranch." He pondered how much his life and priorities had changed in just a few years. Being kidnapped and missing for a month, and enduring the brainwashing; he tried not to think about it, but his dreams... And the ranch being so far from even the nearest neighbor. If they could get him at the office, this would be an ideal place to sneak up on him.

Not to mention, if his plan to win C.J. and marry her worked; her safety and the safety of their future children would become paramount. None of his children would have to endure a kidnapping like he did when he was a child, if he could at all help it. He looked up and down the fence line, "I'll have to figure out where they should go. I'll want them to blend in." He didn't want his ranch looking like a military instillation.

Kai suggested, "If you have a map of the ranch back at the house, we can take a look and make sure there are no blind spots, either." He looked around, and added, "If you want, I can give my buddy a call and he can give you his two cents worth."

He replied thoughtfully, "Uncle Roy and I have some contacts with the military, too. But, yeah, I would like to get as many eyes on this as possible." He looked at Kai, "Thanks. I appreciate you thinking of that." Suddenly, Houston was liking this guy, even when the beast was telling him he shouldn't.

Kai smiled, "No problem, bro." He liked C.J.'s best friend, and wouldn't want any harm to come to him. He knew Houston still had his doubts about him and his intentions towards C.J., but that would work itself out in the end. He jutted his head in the direction of the rest of the fence line they had yet to look at, "Let's get going so we don't keep them waiting for us too long. I'm sure you've got more catching up to do with your cousin."

So off they went to finish their task.


	7. Chapter 7

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

A few days later, everyone was meeting at the office for a discussion of the best way to set up security at the ranch. C.J. was sitting at BABY, looking up information about military grade surveillance cameras, while Houston, Roy, Will, and Kai were over at the poker table looking at a map of the ranch. The elevator dinged, the door opened and off stepped Lt. Michael Hoyt.

After greeting Chris, he made his way up the stairs and joined the men at the table. "Will, how are you?" The last time they had seen each other Will was contemplating jumping off the roof of a very tall building.

Will shook his hand, "I'm doing great. How's the wife and kid?"

"They are doing well." Hoyt pulled out his wallet and showed him a picture of Kathy and Ann.

Will admired the photo, "They are both so beautiful. How'd you get so lucky?"

"I don't know. I do _not_ know. But I'm happy I did." Then he looked across the table and saw Kai standing next to Roy, wearing white, loose linen pants and a blue, linen, long sleeved shirt that couldn't hide how muscular his body was, nor the peek of tattoos. His cop instincts weren't kicking in, so he figured this guy must be okay.

Roy introduced him, "Michael, this is Kai. He's here to run the marathon with C.J. Kai this is Lt. Michael Hoyt from the LAPD."

Kai reached over to shake his hand, "Nice to meet you, Lt. Hoyt. C.J. told me about you."

Hoyt quickly looked over his shoulder at C.J. then back to Kai, "Now, don't believe everything she told you."

Kai laughed, "Nah, dude, nothing but good stuff."

Hoyt looked surprised, "Really, Counselor?"

C.J., not turning from typing on BABY, said with a giggle, "I'm a very good liar, Hoyt."

He scoffed, "Well, you are a lawyer."

She acted offended, "Hey, now…"

Houston jumped in, "What can we do for you, Hoyt?"

"I am here to follow up on a complaint against you, Roy and C.J." He stood there and looked at them.

C.J.'s lawyer training kicked in; she stopped what she was doing, stood up and turned around. She stepped up over the back of the couch and went over to the table, "What is the nature of this complaint against us." She had handled many of them before, and she didn't play when it came to complaints.

Hoyt put his hand up, "Calm down, counselor, some guy named Goodfellow said that the three of you are conspiring to have him killed." He consulted his notepad, pointed at Houston and read, "Sundance and his uncle set him up at some, 'dumpy, cheap motel that serves disgusting peasant food, which Butch has probably poisoned'. Which one of you is Butch?" He could tell by her demeanor that C.J. was probably the "Butch" in question.

As C.J. crossed her arms and inhaled deeply, getting ready to lay it out for Hoyt, Houston put his hand on her shoulder and spoke, "He came to us looking for help. He thinks someone is trying to kill him and he hired us to figure out who it is."

Hoyt raised his eye brows, "And have you?"

Houston hedged, "We're working on it. We have a couple of leads." He didn't like to involve Hoyt unless he absolutely had to.

C.J. shook her head at Houston and said adamantly, "It's his wife" before returning to BABY. She came to that conclusion after a few days of research, but Houston had a soft spot for hot women who would bat their eyes at him, so he didn't want to believe it.

Houston looked over at her, then back to Hoyt, "We don't know that for sure. He's made a lot of people mad."

She said in a sing-song manner, "It's his wife."

Hoyt rolled his eyes, "And how do you plan on proving this?"

Roy mused, "She's not that clever a girl. Maybe we can trick her into confessing?"

Hoyt looked at him, "That's easier said than done, unless she's that dim."

Houston admitted, "She's not the brightest bulb, but I'm not sure I could get her to confess."

Roy smiled, "No, you couldn't, but he…" He pointed to Kai, "…could."

C.J. turned around to see who Roy was pointing to. She smiled and nodded. If any man could throw a woman off her game with his smoldering look, it was Kai. And Terri was going to be child's play for him.

Will was nodding, but Houston was dubious, "I'm not sure…" He looked at Kai, "No offense, you're a good-looking guy, but I'm not sure you could get someone to confess to trying to murder their husband."

"None taken, bro." Then Kai shot C.J. a look that he knew would weaken her at her knees. She had to look away before her thoughts ran away with her and she'd take him down to the gym and give him a work out. Just then Chris walked over to hand some papers to Roy, and Kai shot her a smoldering look and said, "Hey, Chris, how's it going?" She briefly lost her balance and whimpered some unintelligible reply, before he looked away from her over to Will, and she wandered back down to her desk.

After a few seconds, Will said, "Alright! I took the last piece of cake when I was 10 and blamed it on the dog!"

Everyone laughed, and Hoyt grinned, "Might be worth a shot. We can get some cameras set up at a neutral place, but how are we going to get her there?"

C.J. offered, "Send her an invitation to a party at that new club on Sunset, _The Coconut Teaser_. They have VIP rooms upstairs, we can set up cameras, adjust the volume in the room so the music isn't so loud that we miss her confession. If we do it on Thursday night it won't be as crowded, so less chance of her being tipped off that it's a sting."

Houston thought about asking C.J. how she would know about the club and its VIP rooms, but decided better of it. He always had to remind himself that she had a life that didn't include him and work. A life where she learned about things like green ducks and B-movie horror films. A life that he hoped to merge with his someday soon.

Hoyt nodded, "Kai, if you're game?"

He nodded, "Sure, anything to help out. It's sounds like fun."

%%%%%%%

On Thursday night everything was set up, all of the officers needed were in position. Roy was out in the van with Hoyt and the recording devices. Houston and Will were inside trying to blend in and keep an eye on the door at the same time. Kai and C.J. were set to arrive in a few moments, and they had plenty of time before the invitation indicated that Terri should be there.

The music was loud and the dancers were on the floor having a good time. With all the Madonna wannabes, and Tears for Fears clones – the '80's were in full swing. Will tapped Houston's arm, and nodded towards the door. There was no mistaking Kai as he entered the room, he looked the part tonight. Jeans, boots, T-shirt with a nice jacket over it, very _Miami Vice_. He made his way around the edge of the room, over to the stairs, and up to the private VIP room. He had been briefed on where to stand, and what he needed her to say before they could make an arrest.

Houston looked at Will, "I wonder where C.J. is?" They were all to be in the next room over where additional monitors were set up, in case Kai needed any help.

Will looked around, and his eyes widened. Houston followed his gaze and then he saw her. She was dressed all in a black, except for the shoes, not the usual color choice for her. Houston had seen her in many outfits from casual to formal, but nothing like this. From the lace bustier with lace straps, cropped jacket, lots of bangles, skin tight pants, and 5-inch red, stiletto heels; she looked sexy in a way Houston had never thought about when it came to her. Her hair was even curled and teased up a bit more than she had ever worn it before. She made her way over to a high-top table across the room from them. As she stood there surveying the room, her mouth turned up in a slight smile when she spotted them, then she looked away since they were supposed to be acting like they didn't know each other.

Will watched at how Houston was looking at C.J and chuckled. He leaned closer and asked, "So cuz, are you filing that image away in your spank bank?"

Houston didn't look away from C.J. and replied with a short, "Yep." And some day, hopefully soon, he'd have her wear that outfit again for him in a more private setting. Suddenly the lights dimmed and a slow song came on. How fortuitous that the song was _"Crazy for You"_ by Madonna. He decided he was going to dance with her, sting operation or no sting operation. This was a chance, while they were both pretending to be other people, he wasn't going to pass up. He got up and made his way over to her, "May I have this dance?" He extended his hand to her.

She smiled, "Sure." She took his hand as he led her to the dance floor.

She put her arms around his neck, and he put his arms around her waist as the song got to, _"…Touch me once and you'll know it's true…"_ They began to slowly sway and take small steps side to side together. Then, there it was again, that unmistakable feeling… that energy from his hands as they moved under the jacket to stroke her back, which was mostly bare because of how low cut the top was in the back, plus the way he was breathing and looking at her… "_No. No, that isn't it. He's just playing a part, so that the sting will go off without a hitch"_, she thought.And, at least, this was a damn sight easier than rollerblading on the boardwalk, which landed her in the water after a two story drop from the pier.

"…_Every breath I'm deeper into you…"_

"You look _so_ beautiful tonight." He managed to say, while thinking of baseball, so as to keep his libido in check.

She crinkled her nose, "You think? I borrowed it from a friend." The way he was looking at her when he nodded… Suddenly she felt the need to chat, to get a conversation going, so she could distract herself from the vibes she thought he was giving off. She looked towards the door, "The heels are kind of killing me. I mean, I wear high heels, but these are a bit… Anyway, I hope Terri shows up. She's kind of ditsy, but I doubt that she'd miss a VIP invitation. I really think she's the one, but then we'll have to figure out who she hired to kill…" She didn't get to finish her thought because he captured her mouth in a kiss.

"…_You'll feel it in my kiss, Because I'm crazy for you..."_

Houston found it difficult to think of baseball and kiss her at the same time. So, he just deepened the kiss and she deepened it with him. Her breath becoming as ragged as his. He thought vaguely of something that they were supposed to be paying attention to. Damn, she could kiss. They had kissed when they were much younger, but this was much better than before. And he could feel the lace of her bustier, through his own silk shirt. He started thinking of undoing it…

"_I never wanted anyone like this, it's all brand new…"_

No, no, baseball… Or… What was it he was supposed to be thinking of? Ah, well, it would come to him eventually. Right now, he was drowning in the sensations of holding and kissing her the way he should have been doing for many years now. The drowning feeling was being amplified by the newly realized depth of his love for her. And the way she was running her fingers through his hair… _"Baseball, baseball… Who won the world series…"?_

She had no idea how much time had passed when Will came over and tapped them both on the shoulders saying, "She's here. She just went upstairs. Let's go." The song had changed, so it had been a couple of minutes. All she knew was she was frozen to the spot, not wanting to move until she figured out what that kiss was all about. It had to be just for show. Just for the sting operation. Man, oh, man, could he kiss. His technique the last time they made out was great, but this was _much_ better. More intense… Why was that? It couldn't mean anything more to him than playing a part for the sting, could it? Houston merely smiled at her, then led her by the hand, over to and up the stairs to their VIP room.

They nodded silent hellos to the civilian equipment guys that were in the room, and they all stood and watched the monitors.

Kai had his best smoldering look going and it appeared to be working on Terri. Her blue eyes were wide, just taking him all in, so he removed his jacket and placed it on the couch next to him as he said, "Hi, what's your name?"

"Tttteri" she said as she eyed his muscular arms, studying the tattoos, then looked back into his eyes. Luckily she moved slowly across the room to lean against the wall where she was lined up perfectly for any of the cameras.

His eyes never left her face, "Nice to meet you Terri. So, do you know when our host will arrive?"

She gazed back at his smoldering eyes, and her breath caught, "Nnnno. The invitation just said to be here at 10:30."

He grinned at her, "That's what mine said, too. Why don't we use this time to get to know each other?"

She just barely managed to stammer, "Oookay." Everyone could tell she was breathing hard because of the way her cleavage, in her low cut blouse, was moving up and down rapidly.

He stood up, walked over to where she was standing, and put one hand on the wall next to her and leaned his head down so she was captivated by his stare. He deliberately kept his other hand in his pocket, so she wouldn't feel like he had her trapped, that she could move away at any time. His voice went deep and gravelly, "So, tell me, Terri, are you dating or married? I'm not the kind of guy who moves in on other men's girlfriends or wives."

She said breathlessly, "Nooo," Then corrected herself, "Well, I mean, I'm separated from my husband."

He waggled his head, "Aw, that's a shame."

She said a little more forcefully in a breathless girly voice, "Not really. He's horrible. I thought it was charming at first, but then… Well, he might want to think he's one, but he's no prince."

C.J. scoffed, "You can say that again."

Houston grinned at her, quickly eyed her up and down, then gave her a look that made her breath catch. He looked back at the monitors when he saw his look had the desired effect.

In his gravelly, sexy voice Kai asked, "So, tell me, Terri, did you grow up here in L.A.?"

She shook her head, "No, I grew up in Virginia, and moved here when I turned 18."

He grinned, "Really? Do you ever miss it?"

She sighed, "Sometimes I miss my family, but I want to be a movie star…" She batted her eyes at him, like she did with every man she ever came across. They always seemed to like it for some reason.

His eyes appraised her, with a few more seconds focused on her cleavage, then he said, "I could see that." He leaned in closer so that they were almost nose to nose. She was barely breathing when he asked sexily, "So, tell me Terri, who'd you hire to kill your husband?"

She whispered, "Joe Helerbrand."

All jaws dropped in the monitoring room and the van. One of the guys said a bit loudly, "HOLY SHIT! That's got to be some kind of record for getting a confession!" C.J. just smiled knowingly. His smolder had gotten her to confess a few things, too.

Then he moved so that his lips brushed her cheek, before returning his stare on her, "And how much are you paying him?"

Weakly she offered, "Ten thousand up front, then another ten when it's done."

Hoyt said, "We got it!" But as he said that all hell broke loose in the room. The door flew open and five men zoomed into the room and rushed at Kai. Will and Houston started for the door, because they knew the other guys from the force that were in the room with them were civilians and weren't allowed to engage.

C.J. was getting ready to follow, but Houston stopped her saying, "Stay here. We'll handle this." So, she reluctantly stayed, keeping an eye on the monitors.

As Houston entered the room, Kai already had one guy up on his shoulders and was throwing him into wall and he landed on the couch. Houston jumped in and intercepted a punch meant for Kai, catching the guy's fist in his hand, then Kai leg swept the guy, knocking him to the ground. Another guy landed a punch on Will, and Houston was on him from behind, allowing Will to get a few shots into the guy's stomach.

C.J. could see that Terri was headed out the door, so she went after her. In the hallway, Terri slammed into C.J. and hit the floor, looked up and said, "You?!"

She rolled her eyes, "Yes, me. Get up" But as she was dragging Terri to her feet, one of the thugs rushed at her, she ducked his punch and gave him a shot in the kidneys. She shoved Terri into the room with the monitoring equipment to keep her from running away. Then kicked the goon in the shins.

Will and Houston were subduing the guy they had and Kai knocked out the last man standing, then went out the door. He saw C.J. fighting the last thug and doing a great job of getting some jabs in and ducking his punches. Houston came out the door, saw what was happening and went to help. Kai put his arm out and stopped him, "She's doing great, bro. Let's wait until she actually needs help." He smiled as he watched her roundhouse kicked the guy in the head. With a lusty look in his eyes he shouted, "Get 'em, babe!"

A stunned Houston looked at Kai's enamored face, "Is this turning you on?!" Houston's Daddy had taught him to always defend a woman, and even though he and Too Mean had taught C.J. to defend herself, that was supposed to be only for times when he wasn't there to protect her.

Kai said in an unapologetic tone and with a smile, while not taking his eyes off of C.J. as she was using her high heel to kick the guy in the groin, "A sexy woman kicking a bad guy's ass? Nothin' hotter." He gave Houston a quick glance, "She's tougher than you give her credit for, bro."

Just then cops swarmed up the stairs and from behind Kai and Houston. With their guns drawn they hollered, "FREEZE!" Everyone did, except for the guy C.J. had been contending with, who writhed on the floor holding his crotch and whimpering.

After Hoyt came up and was sorting out who were the bad guys and who were the good guys, Kai looked at C.J. and said, "Babe, you were so awesome. I love your moves."

She smiled demurely and said, "Thanks."

Houston wanted to give her a lecture about not jumping into a fight when he had told her to stay put, but he realized at this point it would only serve to irritate her. Especially since Kai was making such a big deal of being proud of her fighting skills. Houston was proud of her skills, too. It's why he helped train her, but he also wanted nothing more than to protect her and keep her safe after all of the things she had been through. Maybe after Kai left, he would have a chat with her.

%%%%%%%

It was Saturday night, the night before the marathon. Terri and the thugs from the club were in jail awaiting their bail hearings. Between sobs on the way to the patrol car, Terri had asked C.J. to be her lawyer, because, "You know what it's like to be a woman." That was her whole argument, and while C.J. couldn't disagree with that, declined to represent her.

Houston, Roy, Will, C.J., Kai and Chris were all at _Barone's_ for a pasta dinner so C.J. and Kai could 'carb load'. Roy proposed a toast, "To C.J. and Kai, for being brave enough to do what others don't even dream of trying."

They all clinked glasses, and Kai looked at C.J. and said, "Nani Uhane, you are going to do great tomorrow."

She beamed, "Thank you, Hauoli Uhane."

Will ventured, "What do those names mean?"

Kai said, "Nani Uhane is Hawaiian for 'beautiful spirit'."

C.J. smiled then added, "And Hauoli Uhane means 'joyful spirit'."

Roy nodded, "Those really do fit the two of you."

Chris sighed, "So you gave her a Hawaiian name? That's so sweet."

Kai shook his head, "I didn't give it to her, Grandma did."

Houston felt like this was the time to ask, "So, how did the two of you meet, anyway?"

Kai smiled and said, "Well, I was working on a building one day, and I looked over to the pool at the condos next door and there was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen doing paper work." He looked at C.J., and made a face, "I mean, who comes to Hawaii to do paperwork?"

C.J. smiled and shot a sideways glance at Houston and Roy. Roy pointed at Houston, "That was HIS idea to send the paperwork over."

Kai laughed, "Anyway… So, all week long, she was at the pool doing paperwork. Then on Friday night, my cousin and I are downtown going to get some food from the street vendors, when we hear a yelp. I looked over and saw two dudes holding knives at kuku wahine, that's Hawaiian for grandmother…"

Chris was astonished, "They were robbing your grandmother?!"

C.J. explained, "In Hawaiian culture they consider all older women their grandmothers or aunties, all older men their grandfathers or uncles, all people their age their cousins, because they are all related in some way. So, while the woman was not the mother of his mother, she is still called his grandmother."

"Right." Kai agreed, "So my cousin and I start moving that direction, when all of a sudden this woman kicks the knife out of the one guy's hand, and, I don't even know how the rest of it happened, but by the time we got over there both the guys were on their asses, so we tackled them and held them down. Then my cousin yells, 'look out!' and the guy I was holding down was trying to reach for the closest knife when…" Kai's pitch went up an octave, "This little high heel slams down…" Kai imitated the motion, "…in the middle of this guy's hand and a voice says, 'don't even think about it!'"

Everyone looked over at C.J. who was laughing, "I might have said something like that."

Kai admonished her, "You said exactly that, babe. So, I look up and it's her! The paperwork woman. Paperwork woman can kick ass?! I was impressed. Then we all have to go down to the station to give our statements, and when we get there, she tells the cops that she's a lawyer." He shakes his head, "Whaaaaaat?! She's beautiful, can kick ass AND is a lawyer? It just kept getting better. While we were writing our statements, C.J. was getting Kuku Wahine tea and she got her blanket, made sure that the victims services person spoke with her, genuinely taking care of her. That's when Vince showed up and they stepped out of the room."

Houston said, "I'm going to have to talk to Vince, he never told me this."

C.J. shook her head, "I told him not to. I know how you get." She gave him the look. He gave her the look right back.

Kai eyed Houston, then continued, "So Kuku said to me, 'she's nani uhane' and I had to agree. When C.J. returned to the room Kuku told her that her Hawaiian name is Nani Uhane. Then she invited C.J. and Vince and his family, and my cousin and me over to her house the next day for the cookout they were having."

C.J. smiled, "It was great! Kuku and Mama were exchanging recipes, the roast pig… SO yummy."

Kai agreed, "It was. SO, then there was a pickup touch football game. We were on opposite teams. I was the QB, and this woman…" He put a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her, "Intercepted me three times. THREE times!"

C.J. laughed and looked at Houston, "Everything I learned about football, I learned from Houston."

He smiled, "Glad to know you were paying attention."

Kai started ticking off on his fingers, "She's beautiful, inside and out, she can kick ass, she's smart, AND she's a great Free Safety?! How is it possible that she's not married? What kind of idiot passes all this up? So, I got down on one knee right then and there and proposed to her."

Chris, who had been enraptured in the story, gasped and said, "Did you get married?!"

Everyone at the table slowly turned to look at Chris with skepticism.

C.J. nodded and said slowly, "Yes. Yes, it was a beautiful ceremony… at sunset."

Kai could see where C.J. was going and chimed in, "On a cliff overlooking the ocean."

C.J. bobbed her head to the side a bit, "Well, you wanna give a guy a hard out in case he changes his mind." Then she gestured her hand going over the cliff. Everyone but Chris giggled. Chris was still not catching on, so C.J. added, "We have five beautiful children." She paused then patted her tummy, "The sixth is on the way."

Kai grinned and crossed his fingers, "Hoping to even out the numbers with another boy."

C.J. shook her head, "Oh, no. There's more than enough testosterone in the house as it is." Chris was still wide eyed, so C.J. looked at her in dismay, "Chris!"

Then it hit Chris that they were teasing her, "OH! You guys!" Everyone laughed while she looked away in embarrassment.

%%%%%%%

The next morning at 5:45am C.J. and Kai were in their corral for runners who have the same minute per mile average that they do. Houston could see that they were stretching together. Kai was standing behind her gently stretching her arms back behind her. Then they switched and she did the same for him. The beast was not happy at how natural they looked together, but Houston squashed his thoughts and walked over to the barricade line, "Hey, C.J."

She turned, with a look of surprise on her face, "Houston? I didn't expect you to be here." She went over and gave him a hug. He kept an arm around her and she didn't move away from his hold.

Houston looked at Kai, "Good morning, Kai."

Kai reached over to shake his hand, "Good morning, bro. Nice of you to come out."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss it." Just then the warm up music started, "I will see you both at the finish line." C.J. hugged him again, so he asked, "You okay?"

She whispered, "A little nervous."

He looked at Kai, then whispered in her ear, "Kai will be with you. You've trained hard for this. You'll do great." Then he gave her a kiss on the forehead and sent her towards Kai. She smiled at him before turning and joining in the warm up dancing. He watched as they danced and waited until their corral was allowed to start running.

What C.J. and Kai didn't know was that he had people from Houston Inc. stationed at the 5, 10, 15 and 20 mile markers with signs to cheer them on. Houston, Roy, Will and Chris were going to be at the finish line to congratulate them.

Four hours and twenty something minutes later they spotted them coming up to the finish line. Kai looked tired, but C.J. looked extremely weary. So Houston yelled, "Come on, C.J.!" and he saw a smile play across her face. He moved to a spot where he could greet her after she received her medal.

As they approached Houston, Kai said, "Bro, she's gonna collapse, you gotta catch her." And right after he said it, she did just that.

Houston caught her and then the paramedics rushed over with a stretcher, and he put her on it gently. She didn't appear to be conscious. He followed them to the tent and sat next to her while they started an IV and covered her with a blanket.

His worried look prompted one of the nurses attending to her to say, "Don't worry. This isn't unusual. She'll be right as rain in no time."

He was holding C.J.'s hand when he asked, "Will she need to go to the hospital?"

In a non-committal tone she said, "We'll see. Most of the time the runners don't need more than some IV fluids and a bit of rest, but if she does, then we'll send her along. Are you her husband?"

He shook his head, "No, were best friends." Then quickly added, "But I'm her emergency contact and am legally able make medical decisions for her if necessary."

The nurse just grinned at him, then another runner was brought in and she went over to help assess them.

Kai stepped into the tent then walked over to them, and in a hushed tone asked, "How's she doin', bro?" He looked worried, too.

Houston shook his head, "Not sure yet. What happened?"

He looked at C.J., "Not sure. She was doing great as we passed the 20 mile marker – Thanks for the cheering sections, by the way, they really helped push us on." Kai smiled at Houston and he returned the smile. "We were at the 22nd mile and she hit the wall, but kept going and I thought she was about to push through it. But that last half mile was a _real_ struggle for her. I kept talking to her… I really thought she wasn't going to make it across the finish line on two feet, but then she heard your voice and kept stepping."

Houston reached over to shake Kai's hand, "Thanks for getting her through the race. I know how much it meant to her to finish and to have you there to do it with her."

Kai shook his hand, "No problem, bro, but it really was you that got her across the finish line."

Just then C.J. stirred and mumbled, "Houston."

He squeezed her hand and said, "Yeah, honey, I'm here." She fell unconscious again.

Just then the nurse came back over and hustled Kai out of the tent saying, "We don't have enough room for more than one visitor."

The IV bag was almost finished when C.J. finally stirred again. She opened her eyes and gave Houston a weak smile. "Did I finish?"

He brushed a tendril of hair from her face, "Yeah, you finished, see?" He lifted the medal off her chest into her line of sight. "How are you feeling?"

She said weakly, "Like I ran twenty-six miles… In one day… On purpose." He rubbed her cheek with his index finger and smiled.

The nurse came over, "Look who decided to join us! OK, honey, I'm going to need to sit you up a bit and have you drink some sports drink and eat something before we can release you." She reached behind C.J. and adjusted the lounge-type chair she was on to a more seated position. "Do you want cheese crackers or muffin or a banana?"

"I'll take a banana, please." After the nurse walked away C.J. said, "Thanks for the cheering sections."

He gave her a peck on the cheek, "You're welcome. Though, I think most of the ladies were out there to see Kai. No offense."

She grinned, "None taken. He's nice to look at." She sighed, "Man, I could use a massage."

Houston offered, "You can use the hot tub at the office, the jets should hit you in the right places. And we're not too far from the office as it is."

She nodded, "OK, I'll take you up on that." She pondered a moment, "You know, I don't think I've ever been in the hot tub."

He grinned, "A day of firsts for you, darlin'." She smiled back, and they were both happy to have each other as friends.


	8. Chapter 8

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

The morning after the race, C.J. was hard at work on BABY, checking on more information about Makoa's friends. She felt bad that their search for him had been put on hold while they were wrapping up the Goodfellow case. But Kai's very enthusiastic roll in the sheets with her this morning while saying, "Don't worry about it, babe", let her know he was just fine with the delay. When he joined her in the shower, she started to wonder if they could delay finding his cousin for another week or two. She had been sleeping very well, because there were no nightmares/terrors while he kept his protective arms around her all night long.

They had breakfast, then he went off to the ranch to finish off the repairs to the fence line. Fortunately for Houston, there were very few repairs that needed to be done, so it and the barn should be done well before the party on Saturday. Everything was lined up and she would need to be at the ranch on Thursday and Friday to show the caterer where to set up the food, the DJ, and all the other various activities, as well as making sure the signage to the party was set up.

Houston bounded up the stairs with a cheery, "Good morning, C.J." He was feeling great. After yesterday, he knew that while Kai might have her for the moment, in the end, he could win her heart. It was him she had called for when she was worn out from the race, not Kai. Now, he just had to get his timing right.

She turned to look at him as he walked over to pour himself some coffee. "Good morning. You're in a good mood."

He smiled at her, "Yeah, I guess I am. How are you feeling today?"

"Less sore than I would have thought, but I guess the hot tub jets did the trick. No wonder you spend so much time in there." Although, she and Kai were wearing bathing suits, and not their birthday suits like Houston always did.

"It is a great place to relax." He sat down next to her, "So what have we found out about Makoa?"

She sighed, "He's involved with some rough characters, Houston. Baby Ray is the tamest of all of them. Maybe we should go interview him again." She was ready to get this over with for Kai's sake.

He considered telling her that he didn't want her near anyone dangerous, but after how well she handled the goon at the club, he thought better of it. He had an idea, "You know, maybe if you wear that outfit you wore to the club, you could get him to tell us where he is." She shot him a look, and he responded with an innocent face. "What? Kai got Terri to spill her secrets using his skills. That didn't seem to bother you…"

She said sternly, "That outfit is not a 'skill'. His 'mojo' is a skill, and one that I do not possess."

He nudged her, "Aww, don't sell yourself short C.J. You've got mojo." It certainly worked on him in the club.

She rolled her eyes at him, "Yeah. ANYway, I returned that outfit to my friend, so it's not gonna happen."

His voice couldn't hide the disappointment, "Even the red shoes?"

She went back to typing on BABY, "Yes, the red FMPs went back, too."

He hadn't heard this term before, "FMPs? What are FMPs?"

She reached over and stroked his cheek with the back of her hand, making a face that you would give a small child, "Aww, that's adorable." She wasn't going to tell him. Just like with the green ducks. Then she went back to typing and said, "Baby Ray is connected to one of the newer gangs here in L.A." She pulled up a picture of Baby Ray at some outdoor event with what appeared to be several gang members.

The elevator dinged and Roy came into the office a few moments later. "Hello, you two. Are those Makoa's friends?"

They turned around and said their good mornings. Then Houston asked, "Where's Will today?"

"He decided to go out to the ranch and give Kai a hand with the fencing. Good, hard labor will do him a world of good," was Uncle Roy's reply. He was happy that Will seemed ready to stop wandering the country and settle down a bit.

C.J. answered his initial question, "Yes, these are the guys Makoa has been hanging out with. I wish we could convince Baby Ray that Kai just wants to check up on Makoa…"

"Well, Matt and I can go over there and give it a shot." Roy ventured.

Houston stood up and said, "Yeah, let's do that."

C.J. looked offended, "I can go." She was thinking that since she was the one who took the case, she should be the one going out and interviewing people with Houston. And she was the one who talked with Baby Ray the first time, without either of the guys with her, and nothing bad had happened.

Houston shook his head, "Nah, C.J. you just ran a marathon yesterday, you still need some recovery time."

She looked back down at the keyboard, trying and failing to hide her miffed disappointment. Houston waved Roy out the door, and then sat down next to her again. She quietly said, "I'm not fragile, Houston."

He studied her for a moment, but she didn't look at him, so he brushed her hair off her shoulder, then rested his chin there, put an arm around her waist, and said softly, "I _know_ that, but I was really worried about you yesterday. You didn't just faint, you were out for a solid 20 minutes." He let that sink in for a few seconds. "There will be other opportunities, I promise."

She sat, silently steaming, quickly thinking of the various reasons she wanted to present to him as to why she should go and not Roy, but knowing that he would have counter arguments, and in the end she wouldn't win anyway.

He knew she was pissed, and he didn't want to walk away from her while she was. So, after a minute he said in a deadpan voice, "Not feelin' the love here, C.J."

She couldn't stop herself from grinning. She chuckled, shook her head, gave him a sideways look, and said, "Just go." How did he manage to do that? To get her anger to dissipate with one ridiculous sentence?

He lifted his chin, and turned her face toward his with his fingers, and looked her in the eyes, which were smiling at this point. With a smile he said, "Next one, I promise." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips, stood up, and added, "We'll be back by lunch. Figure out where you want to go."

As he was walking towards the doors she said, "Bring your wallet, it's going to be expensive."

Over his should he said, "Wear those red shoes and I won't care." He heard her laugh, which made him happy. They could rarely stay mad at each other for very long.

%%%%%

Houston and Roy spoke with Baby Ray who agreed to set up a meeting with Kai and Makoa. They decided to head over to the ranch to deliver the news in person. They spotted the two wheelers in the driveway, so they figured they must be taking a break or had finished the work. Roy went to the house to look for them, and Houston went to check on the progress of the barn.

As he approached the barn, he could hear Kai and Will talking. He was about to holler out when he heard Will ask a question that made Houston freeze in his tracks because he wanted to know the answer, too.

Will asked, "Sooo, you're having sex with C.J., huh?"

There was a pause, then Kai replied, "Dude, I don't kiss and tell."

Will laughed and said, "I'm not asking about the kissing."

There was another pause, "I will tell you this, I don't think anyone has ever _had sex_ with C.J."

"Really?" Will said with surprise and skepticism, at the same time Houston thought it.

"No. With C.J. it is an _intense_ religious experience, and I'll say no more on the subject." The firm tone in his voice let Will know he was serious.

"OK, fair enough." After a pause, "Looks like we should be able to load the hay up in the loft tomorrow."

"Depends on if the inspector gets out here today or early tomorrow. Probably on Wednesday, for sure."

Just then Houston entered the barn, "Hey, how are you two doing today?"

Will said, "Good. We finished the fencing and were thinking about loading up the hay loft." He smiled at Houston, "I like the fireman poles to get out of the loft. I remember when we were kids, wishing your Daddy had installed them in his barn."

Houston laughed, "I made that dream come true." He looked over at Kai, "Has the inspector come by? We really don't want to load it up to have to take it all out again if it doesn't pass."

Kai answered, "Not yet, but the builder put the call in before they left." He pointed out the back door, "Where do you want to store the leftover lumber. There's not a lot of it, but you could probably use it for a small project."

Houston looked at the pile of wood, "We'll just leave it there for now. Will, your dad's in the house looking for you, and I need to speak with Kai."

Will took that as his cue to leave, and so he did.

Houston walked closer to Kai, "Kai, we talked with Makoa's friend Baby Ray today. Now, he knows where your cousin is, but really doesn't want to tell us."

Kai sighed, "You think I should talk to this guy?" He didn't like to intimidate people with his size, but if it meant getting to talk to Makoa, he would do what he had to do.

Houston shook his head a bit, "Well, what we got him to do was to set up a meeting with you two on Thursday. He's going to call the office tomorrow, and then together we will agree to the when and the where."

He stroked his beard and nodded, "If he's hiding like this, we'll want it to be someplace he'll feel like, if he wants to leave, he can. I don't want him to feel trapped."

Houston rubbed his forehead with his thumb, "We do want the meeting somewhere your cousin will feel safe."

"We should make it somewhere we feel safe, too. Don't ya' think?" Kai was a strong guy, but he didn't like to get into a fight if he could at all avoid it.

Houston hit upon an idea, "What if we pick Disneyland? It's a neutral place. Lots of people with kids. Baby Ray doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would start something there."

"Yeah, Makoa wouldn't either. If nothing else, he'd get to visit someplace nice." He shrugged, but his voice belied his attitude, "I know it's a long shot getting Makoa to come home, and he's going to do what he's going to do with his life, but I just want to be able to tell his mom that I tried."

"Alright. I will set it up for Thursday." He asked out of curiosity, "So, when are you planning on heading home? Not before the housewarming on Saturday, I hope." He meant that sincerely.

He shook his head, "No, I'm leaving on Sunday afternoon. What can I do to help with the party?"

"Oh, I think C.J.'s got it handled." Then he paused and looked at Kai, "Do you know what FMPs are?"

Kai grinned, "The red shoes C.J. wore to the club are FMPs."

"Yeah, but what does FMP stand for? C.J. won't tell me."

Kai smiled broadly, "Ah, bro, I thought you were a world class skirt chaser." He laughed, then said, "You know FMPs" He mouthed the first word then said, "…Me Pumps. Sort of a visual sign of availability."

Houston looked shocked. Partly because he had never heard that before, but namely that his sweet C.J. would know that. "That's a new one on me." But after seeing her in them at the club, they certainly lived up to their name. He wondered how he could get her to borrow them again.

%%%%%%%%%

The meeting at Disneyland went off without a hitch. Houston had left the tickets for Baby Ray and Makoa at the Will Call office, so they wouldn't have to pay to get in, and wouldn't have that as an excuse not to show up. They agreed to meet in Tomorrow Land by Space Mountain. After arriving a half hour late, they finally showed up, and Houston stood back away while the two cousins talked. Their voices raised at one point, but by the end, they hugged before Makoa walked off with Baby Ray. After that, Kai wasn't interested in seeing any of the park. Houston didn't argue, but took him out to the ranch, so they could see how the party preparations were going.

The ride out to the ranch was quiet and when they arrived, Kai walked off to the barn, and Houston gave him his space. Houston told C.J. what had happened and tried to get her to let him be, but she went to check on him anyway. After half an hour, Houston wandered out to be sure everything was okay. Houston paused when he looked into the barn and saw C.J., with her back to one of the poles, reached up to hold onto it, her shoulder and neck pressed against the pole, then raised her body so it was perpendicular to the pole. She then slowly started moving her legs up, like she was walking on invisible stairs until she was upside down with the toe of her one shoe holding her up against the pole.

Kai, who was sitting on a bale of hay, almost shouted, "Yeah, babe! That is awesome! Can you do it going down?" She smiled.

Houston walked nearer, mesmerized by what she was doing. She then reversed the process and was, again, holding her body perpendicular to the pole and holding it that way for several seconds longer than he would have thought anyone could without their face turning purple and their muscles trembling. Houston couldn't help himself and asked, "C.J., what are you doing?"

She slowly and gracefully lowered herself to the ground, and faced Kai; She then turned around, her face was flushed, "Oh… You know… Just playing around…"

Before he could ask any more questions one of the caterers came in and said, "Ms. Parsons, there you are. I need to ask you for a few more details."

C.J. looked back at Kai and said, "I'll be right back." She then averted her eyes as she quickly walked past Houston and out of the barn.

So, Houston looked at Kai, "What was that?"

Kai smiled a knowing smile, "Like she said. She was just fooling around." He knew better than to divulge that secret to Houston. He did not want to spend the last few days in L.A. sleeping on the couch.

Houston decided to have a _talk_ with Kai about C.J. "I wish you wouldn't encourage her to do things like that."

"What do mean?" Kai, in his estimation, hadn't encouraged C.J. to do anything she wasn't already skilled in doing.

Houston paused, because he thought it should be quite clear. "I mean, like at the club when you encouraged her to fight that guy instead of protecting her from him."

Kai was amused, "Really? Because I thought that's why you trained her. So, she didn't need a man to protect her or fight her battles for her. She's a very capable woman, bro."

Houston was a little irritated at Kai's attitude, "I know she's capable, but I know C.J. better than you do."

Kai's ire was peaked at that statement, "Really?" Kai knew he shouldn't do this. Knew C.J. would not be happy with him for what he was about to reveal to Houston, but Houston needed to be taken down half a peg when it came to C.J., so he asked, "What are her night terrors about?"

Houston looked puzzled, "She doesn't…" Surely, she would have told him if she was having nightmares. She knew he had them, so she would have shared that with him.

Kai cut him off, "Oh, yes she does. And they're not bad dreams; they are night _terrors_." Kai let that sink in.

Kai looked out of the barn door to be sure that she wasn't coming back and he lowered his voice, "In Hawaii, after the cookout, we had all had a little too much to drink, so we didn't want to drive anywhere. So, Kuku Wahine gave her one of the guest bedrooms. It's a beautiful night, full moon, so I'm sitting by the bond fire with my cousins."

He paused again and looked around and stepped closer to Houston, and lowered his voice even more, "Then we hear a scream. Like someone is being stabbed and C.J. comes running out of the house like the devil is chasing her. I go running after her. She hits the water at a dead run, but then stops, and looks around. I can see in her face she doesn't know where she is. She tries to play it off, so I don't push it. Next night, we're at the condo…"

The question slipped out before he could stop himself, "What were you doing at the condo?"

Kai raised an eyebrow, "What consenting adults do." And the look Kai gave Houston let him know he wasn't going into detail. "So, she's asleep, I get thirsty and I go to the kitchen to get a drink. Same scream and I can hear her moving fast then a thud. I go back into the bedroom to find her sitting on the floor with her knees to her chest, shaking and crying. Her eyes were open, but she wasn't seeing me. A few minutes later, she woke up and saw me, and then she told me what the night terrors were about."

"What were they about?" Houston's head was reeling, but Kai's next sentences were like a punch in the gut.

"You're her best friend. If she wanted you to know, she would have told you, because they have been going on for a long time now. So, ask her yourself." Kai shook his head at Houston, "Bro, you may have known her longer than I have, but you don't know her as well as you think you do." His voice went back to a normal volume, "Maybe you should ask yourself why that is."

"Why what is?" C.J. asked as she walked back into the barn. She could see they were engaged in a serious conversation. There was a tension between them that could be cut with a knife.

Kai looked over at C.J., "Nothin', babe. Just some man talk." He looked back at Houston.

She didn't believe him, "Man talk, huh? Houston?" She watched his face carefully. She wondered if he had told Kai not to date her anymore, or something like that.

Houston gathered his composure quickly, "Yeah, C.J., just man talk."

She could tell she wasn't going to get a straight answer out of either of them, so she changed the subject, "The caterer is looking for taste testers, so we can decide which foods you want to serve at the BBQ."

Houston replied, "That sounds like a challenge I'll like. Why don't you two go ahead and I'll be there in a minute."

Kai put his arm around C.J. as they exited the barn. Houston stood there for a few moments pondering what Kai had told him. If this were true, and he didn't think Kai was lying, then he might have a more difficult time than he thought moving forward with her. He knew she had walls, many of them she had erected when she was a child, but he thought he knew what all of her walls were. He was going to have to carefully plan how to figure out what walls he didn't yet know about, and how get past them if they were going to start a romantic relationship.

%%%%%%%%

On Saturday, it was a beautiful, cool Southern California day. The high temperature was expected to be about 65 degrees, with no precipitation, so everyone could enjoy all of the outdoor activities. The horses weren't going to be moved to the ranch until the following Saturday, but since some of them were a bit skittish with lots of people around, it was better that way.

By 2pm there were about 100 people at the ranch. Bo and Lamar even came in early so that they could enjoy the festivities before having to start work on the ranch again. The Novellis were invited as well, but they couldn't get away from the restaurant in Hawaii on such short notice.

Everyone was playing games like horseshoes, volleyball, and some carnival type games. The DJ was doing a masterful job of mixing some country music with rock, pop rock, new wave, etc. Something to keep everyone happy and dancing. There was an open bar, and all types of Texas BBQ foods. Ribs, chicken, steak, potato salad, chili, and on and on.

Houston decided to do a pickup touch-football game; ten on each team divided equally men and women. Houston was the captain and QB of one team, and after some encouragement from C.J., Kai agreed to captain the opposing team. Uncle Roy, Bo and Lamar were recruited to be the refs. They used cones to mark off the boundaries of the field and used the leftover painters chalk-line to mark out the field; only 50 yards between the goal lines, though. They agreed to two 15-minute quarters, but kept the 3 timeouts.

They had everyone who wanted to play gather round. It was a large group, but some of the shyer folks were hanging towards the back of the crowd.

Houston said to Kai, "Since you're the visiting team, I'll let you pick first."

"Thanks, bro." He looked over at C.J. and said, "Come on." As she passed him to stand behind him, he said, "You are not intercepting me today, woman." And she laughed.

Houston looked out and he said "Will." Will high fived him as he went to stand behind Houston.

Then Kai did something unexpected, "Murray, let's go dude!" Everyone was surprised, but no one more than Murray.

Murray was dismayed, "I don't think you want me. I know the stats, but I've never played." Kai just motioned him over. Dressed in his business shirt, tie and pants, Murray made his way over and C.J. hugged him.

Kai put a hand on Murray's shoulder and gave it a gentle shake, "You'll be great! You're going to be the cornerstone of the team, dude!" Then he looked at Houston, "Houston, do you have some shorts and sneakers he can wear?"

He nodded, "Absolutely. We'll sort that out after we choose up teams." Houston thought picking C.J. made perfect sense, but Murray? Other than his brother Myron, Murray was the least athletic person he knew.

Houston picked Chris, because he knew she'd played a few pickup games growing up with her siblings.

Kai spotted a shy, plain woman with glasses, and asked C.J. what her name was, then he pointed to her and said, "Bridget". She looked behind her, then back at Kai. He nodded, "Yeah, girl, you! Come on." Bridget was stunned, but made her way over to stand next to Murray and C.J.

Houston was starting to like his odds. The picks went on like that. Houston picked the most athletic looking ones. And, except for C.J., Kai picked the least athletic looking ones. Much to their dismay, all the hot secretaries, who were hoping to be picked by Kai, were not.

After all the picks were made, they agreed to a 45-minute break to familiarize the players with the rules and to strategize. They decided it would be shirts and skins, and Kai's team got skins. All the women watching wolf whistled when Kai took his shirt off and he blushed, then C.J. whispered something in his ear that made him laugh. Murray took off his shirts and Kai said, "Oooh, bro… You're gonna need a LOT of sunscreen." Murray's skin was blindingly white, but Bridget offered to put the sunscreen on a flustered Murray. Houston had to contain himself when he saw C.J. take off her shirt; she was wearing her emerald-green bikini top, with her jean shorts. And he had to look away when Kai started putting sunscreen on her back and shoulders, because the beast within him was not happy about that.

Houston named his team, Oilers West and then he took Murray into the house to get him some shorts and shoes. Will started prepping their team, because he knew Houston's game plays inside and out since they used to play together when they were growing up,.

As they made their way upstairs, Murray gushed the whole time, "I can't believe he picked me. I mean ME! _Him_ of all people picking _me_! In school I _never_ got picked, not even last…"

Listening to him made something click in Houston's brain. While the picking of players was happening, Houston thought that Kai wasn't a good judge of horse flesh, but listening to Murray… Maybe Kai was using a strategy Houston hadn't considered, being that he was such a competitive person.

When they returned outside Houston occasionally watched Kai pumping up his team of misfits. How his confidence in them was giving them confidence. He was teaching them some sort of chant Houston had never seen or heard before. Kai named their team Ea (ay-uh), which in Hawaiian means "a (personal) sovereignty where _no one_ can hold you back". Suddenly, even the beast within Houston couldn't help but like this guy.

Houston's team won the coin toss and elected to receive; but they agreed to skip the kickoff and extra points, as they had no goal posts. On the first play, Will snapped the ball, Houston got it and dropped back and threw it to his RB, Dan. But just as the ball was getting down field, C.J. intercepted it, and she managed to dodge all the players and ran it in for a touchdown. Even Houston couldn't catch her.

After she celebrated in the end zone with her team, as they were all walking back to the center of the field, Houston went over to C.J. and asked, "What was that chant you were doing?"

She smiled, "It's called a Haka, it's apparently from the Maori tribe in New Zealand. It's a warrior chant. It's really only for the men, but…"

"LET'S GO, SAFETY!" Kai hollered with a smile. She winked at Houston and ran back to her team.

Kai was having Murray play center. His first snap went _way_ over Kai's head, but, thanks to Mary, they manage to recover the ball. Houston could see how upset Murray was, and was saying, "You really should pick someone else. I'm terrible at this..." But Kai walked over to Murray and held his face to get Murray to look him in the eye, "Don't you even worry about it, dude! Professionals do it all the time. I believe there is a warrior in you! Do it with me!" They proceed to chant while doing the moves of the Haka for a few seconds. Murray looked pumped up and his next snap was near perfect. Juan went long and caught the ball with only yards to go.

The play went on like that, and C.J. intercepted Houston three more times before the last play of the game. After her third interception, Roy was standing near Houston and laughed, "She knows you too well, boy. She can read you like a book." Normally, the competitor in Houston would be angry that he had been intercepted that many times, but when he looked at her… His thoughts never stayed on football.

It was the last play of the game and the score was 18 to 18. Houston took a time out to strategize. They all agreed that they would have to run it or risk C.J. intercepting Houston for a fifth time. The beast within him peeked over at her, bent over in their team's huddle, and wanted to think about all of the ways he could sweetly punish her, but the football part of his brain took over.

As the WR, Garrett, was running down the field, his hold on the ball was loose, and Kai managed to hit the ball hard enough it went flying out of his hands. Murray picked up the fumble and somehow managed to run it in for the winning touchdown. The Ea's celebrated by lifting Murray on their shoulders and carrying him around the field. The Oilers West team were good sports about it and they all told each other "good game" as they shook hands in the middle of the field.

As they were all leaving the field, Houston looked over at an elated Murray walking off the field and chatting to Bridget. He went over to Kai and, as he was shaking his hand, said, "Thank you, Kai. I believe you have done for him something no one else has ever done – looked past the exterior to find the strength inside him. Really, you did that for your whole team."

Kai smiled, "He… _They_, always had that in them. Sometimes it just takes one person to believe that you are strong, or smart, or worthy for you to believe it yourself."

Houston nodded, "Yeah, but you shined a light on it for him so he could see it, you showed him he has ea, and that takes a special kind of person. Let's go get a beer and toast the star Center."

Kai pumped both his fists into the air, "YEAH!" Then he threw an arm around Houston and they walked over to the kegs.

%%%%%%%

Later that evening as the party was winding down, and only a dozen or so of the guests were left, Houston saw C.J. over at the dessert table getting a slice of Texas Sheet Cake. She had just taken a bite when he came up from behind her, put his hands on her hips and whispered in her ear, "Kai told me what FMP means."

She almost choked on her cake. She swallowed hard and managed, "Did he?" before swallowing again. She was not going to turn around. Nope. She just froze with her face quickly turning bright red.

He grinned then whispered, "You are always full of surprises, Ms. Parsons." He could feel her starting to wiggling under his hands.

She smiled, "Like to keep you on your toes." She still was not going to look him in the eye, and was hoping he never figured out what green ducks were. Or what kind of dancing she and Doc were doing.

He gave her a peck on the cheek then walked away. She finally turned around and he was sitting across the pool at the table where Murray was trying to talk to him about business, but his eyes were on her. Still smiling she shook her head at him, then exited into the house quickly.


	9. Chapter 9

This chapter: For 30+ years I remembered that I hated they way they ended _Matt Houston_. I didn't remember much other than they were going to have him marry some frizzy headed chic he knew for 5 minutes and not C.J.

When I received my DVDs and I re-watched that episode, which was as painful as it was the first time, the smaller details of why I hated that episode came back to me. Having read many of the stories here – I now know I wasn't even close to being alone in that dislike of what the writers did. And, thus, my fan fiction was born and the last scene in this chapter is what it all stemmed from.

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

On Monday morning, Houston was down in the gym working out. The party had gone well, the mess was cleaned up, and the house was none the worse for wear. He didn't see C.J. or Kai on Sunday, but knew that Kai was leaving that afternoon. He tried not to think of the sendoff that C.J. most likely gave him. He was trying to figure out how to get her to tell him about her night terrors. If he knew what they were about, then he would know how to help her. He was sure he could fix the problem, but she would have to tell him what the problem was first.

After he showered and dressed, he walked up stairs to see C.J. sitting at the bar, sipping coffee, and staring, unfocused at a paper in her hand. "Good morning, C.J. Did Kai make it home alright?" She didn't respond, but kept staring at the paper, so he gently touched her shoulder, "C.J.? You okay?"

She shook off her thoughts, and looked him in the eyes, "Butz has agreed to take a plea deal. I guess he saw that all the others were convicted, and decided not to go through with a trial."

He stroked her cheek with his thumb, "That's a good thing, isn't it?" He had seen that look in her eyes before. It was the same look she had the night of the party he threw for her after he had rescued her from the women's prison. The one that Butz ran and the one he and his cronies used as a prostitution ring. It was a worried looked that he had hoped to never see again.

She gave a non-committal shrug, and looked back at the paper, "The judge decided that any woman who wants to, can give a victim's impact statement before sentencing."

He was a little surprised. He thought she would jump at the chance to tell how that whole event influenced her life, "You don't want to do that?"

She let out a sigh, "I feel that I should. It's a lot of pressure, though." She bit her lower lip, then looked up at him.

He gave her a slightly puzzled look, and waited for her to explain.

She tilted her head, "Because I'm a lawyer… I'm supposed to be good with words, but that whole situation…" She shook her head, "Words fail to express what happened and what almost happened… And I'm afraid if I don't find the right words, that I will be letting all those women down… The ones who are no longer here to speak for themselves."

He nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "When do you have to be there?"

She looked back down to the paper, "It's a little over two weeks from now."

He brushed her hair back, then rested his hand on her shoulder, "Do you want me to go with you?"

She looked up quickly into his warm, brown eyes, "Would you? It would mean a lot." Even though she knew that she would probably see Rhonda and Fran there, his presence would give her the calm strength she would need to get through it.

He rubbed her cheek with his thumb again, and smiled, "Of course, I will. What are friends for?"

She smiled, "Thanks." She took his hand and squeezed it.

He suggested, "Tell you what, why don't you go ahead and take some time to start figuring out what you want to say."

She raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? There's still some paperwork to finish up from…"

"Don't worry about it. I can do it." He said as he nodded.

She half smiled and squeezed his hand again, "You hate paperwork."

He shrugged, "True, but it doesn't mean I don't know _how_ to do it. And it's important that you get to put this chapter behind you once and for all."

She smiled, "OK. Thanks." She stood up and gave him a quick hug, then turned and walked to her office.

He watched her go, and knew he would do whatever he could to make it easier for her. Even doing the paperwork.

%%%%%%%

A couple of days later, Houston and C.J. were out on the patio, shoulder to shoulder, leaning against the wall on their forearms, swirling their drinks around in their glasses. Neither of them was speaking; both deep in thought. She was wording and rewording her victim's statement in her head. She had shown her rough draft to Houston, Roy and Will and they all agreed it sounded too "lawyerly". It was hard for her to move away from her training, and wanting to make a good impression on the judge. There was so much riding on it, but she didn't know how to voice it as someone who hadn't studied law.

Houston's thoughts were bouncing back and forth between finishing the barn for the cattle and horses arrivals on Saturday, how to get C.J. to tell him about her night terrors, when to tell her that he loves her, who to hire to put in the security cameras, and how best to support C.J. before, during, and after she gave her victim's impact statement. He already reserved a suite for them at the hotel in town for several nights, because C.J. wanted to be there for the other women who were giving their statements ahead of her. The judge decided to have C.J. go last, so that meant they would be there for three to four nights. It wouldn't be the time to tell her that he loved her, because of the nature of what almost happened to her at the jail and at that "party". That timing would feel "off".

They both turned when they heard Uncle Roy ask, "So, what are you two up to today?"

Houston smiled, "The usual." C.J. grinned.

"How would you like to speak to a gentleman who wants to hire us?" He gestured to the office.

He and C.J. looked at each other, and without a word or any other physical indicator, Houston looked back over at Roy and said, "Let's do it." He put his hand in the small of C.J.'s back and guided her into the lounge area, where a man sat on the couch. He appeared to be in his mid to late 40's, with light blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes, he stood up as they approached. Houston was sizing him up as he walked over to shake his hand.

Uncle Roy made the introductions, "Matlock, this is Philip Harmon."

Houston shook his hand, "Nice to meet you Mr. Harmon." He gestured to C.J., "And this is my associate, C.J. Parsons."

He gave a weak smile as he shook her hand, "Nice to meet you, as well."

Houston gestured to the couch, "Please, have a seat." Roy sat next to Mr. Harmon, C.J. sat on the shorter couch, and Houston sat on the closed BABY. "So, what can we do for you Mr. Harmon?"

"Please, call me Phil. I'm here because I can't find my daughter, Sarah. We live in Seattle, you see, and she disappeared over a year ago."

A young girl disappearing without a trace, struck a chord with C.J. She asked, "How old is she?"

He let out a slow breath to steady himself, "She's twenty-two. She was attending the local college and working at Pike Place Market to pay the bills. She was supposed to come home for Sunday dinner, but she never showed up. We called her, went over to her place, and we didn't find any signs of her. We got the police involved, and they investigated, but they just recently put her file in their cold case files. I heard through a friend that you were the best PI on the west coast, and that's what I need, the best PI to find my daughter."

Choosing his wording and verb tense very carefully, Houston asked, "At the time she disappeared, did she have a roommate or a boyfriend?"

"She had a roommate for a while, but Cindy graduated and moved out of state a month before Sarah disappeared. She didn't have a boyfriend that my wife or I were aware of…" His voice broke, "She was a good girl. Everyone loved her. Even the police couldn't find anyone who said a bad word against her. She was happy. She wouldn't have just gone off without telling us." He started sobbing, "We just want to find our little girl. It's been a year and even if the worst has happened, we just want to bring her home." He hung his head down and cried. Roy patted him on the back, and C.J. went to retrieve the box of tissues from her office.

Houston said, "Now if I take this case, I will be working in a state that I don't have a private investigator's license in..." He looked to C.J.

C.J. handed the tissues to Mr. Harmon, then added, "I will check, but I believe that you can work in that state for up to thirty days without having to apply for a license."

While Phil continued to collected himself, the three of them looked at each other and they all knew they had to take the case. After they assured him that they would start looking into Sarah's disappearance, they would meet him in Seattle to get a better feel for the situation. And after he left, they sat down at the poker table to talk.

Houston knew that this case hit close to home for C.J. and he wanted to save her from having to be too closely involved while she was preparing for her impact statement. "C.J." Houston started, "Since you are getting ready for your impact statement in two weeks, why don't you hang back here and put BABY through her paces? Uncle Roy and I will handle Seattle." He studied her carefully to gauge any subtle reaction that might show in her eyes.

"Are you sure you're not going to need a third person with you?" She wanted to go and do something to distract her from what she had to do in Santa Fe. Even though it might be hard at times, she was sure she could handle doing both.

Roy ventured, "Will can come along with us to be our third." He knew he was treading on rocky terrain after Houston didn't want her to go interview Makoa with him.

She shrugged and said in an unconvincing manner, "If that's what you want." Then without giving him much time to answer she said, "I'll go draw up the contracts for you to take over to Mr. Harmon before he flies back to Seattle in the morning." She stood up and went to her office and started pulling out the forms from the file cabinet.

Houston looked at Roy and Roy put his hands up a little to indicate that he wasn't the one who needed to go talk to C.J. As Houston walked over to her office door, he tried to find the right way to say what he had to say to her. Nothing he came up with while he stood there, leaning against the door frame, would make the situation better and a few would probably make it worse. He could tell she was deliberately not looking up at him while she busied herself filling out the forms.

He said the only thing he thought would make it better, "You can come to Seattle if you want to, C.J. I was just…"

She interrupted him, and her tone was clipped, "No, it's fine. I'll stay here and man BABY and prepare for Santa Fe. You boys can make a family vacation of sorts out of the trip." She tried to make a joke of it, "Male bonding and all, and you don't need a female to interfere with that."

He sighed. All he wanted to do was to protect her, and keep her from having to split her attention between what they needed to do in Seattle and what she was going to have to do in Santa Fe. "If you're mad C.J., just say it."

She looked him in the eyes and said, "I'm mad." Then she continued, "But it doesn't matter if I am or not, because you decided before you ever opened your mouth that I wasn't invited along, whether Will goes or not. And I know you well enough to know that once you've made up your mind, there is nothing I can say or do that will change it." Her hazel eyes dared him to disagree with her.

He thought for a moment and rubbed his forehead with his thumb, "Yeah, I guess I am kinda stubborn."

Her eyebrows arched high, "Kinda?" She rolled her eyes, then sighed, "Just let me get these forms done, Houston." She went back to the paperwork.

He stepped into the office and closed the door. He knew she had more to add, so he said matter-of- factly, "Just say it, C.J."

So, she did, "I'm not some delicate, porcelain doll that you have to put on a shelf to protect. I can handle it, Houston. You've seen me handle more than this. And do you really think that anything you find in Seattle will be more disturbing to me than anything I find on BABY, or anything I haven't seen in our other cases? Like Castanos?" The graphic pictures of how the serial killer left his victims had stuck with her after all this time. And almost being one of his victims had made him a fixture in her nightmares, but Houston didn't know that, and she was never going to tell him either.

He paused and looked at her, his voice was soft and suddenly filled with emotion, "Sometimes… Sometimes I remember that little girl I defended in the school yard. The one who was always so brave in front of everyone. The one who I found, more than once, hiding in the brush down by the river on my Daddy's ranch, crying and asking her mama why she had to leave her, too."

She was taken aback; she had no idea he had witnessed that, she had always thought that was a secret. He nodded, "I remember wanting to take her pain away. I even asked my Daddy how I could take her heartache away. You know what he told me?"

She was touched by his words and had to brushed a tear off her cheek, "No, what?"

"He said, 'You can't, son. All you can do is be a friend to her.'" He shook his head, walked over to her desk and said, "Well, I wasn't going to hear that. I was a cowboy, and in the movies, cowboys always righted the wrongs and the hurts by the end of the film. But Daddy was right, what was hurting that little girl was nothing I could fix."

He walked around her desk and leaned on the counter and she turned her chair to look at him. He gestured for her to come to him and she did. He stood her between his legs and put his arms around her waist and she rested her forearms on his chest and fussed with his tie and collar.

When she finally looked him in the eyes, he continued, "When you go through these things, I can still see that little girl in your eyes, and all I want to do is to make it better. I want to take your pain away, even though I know, realistically, there's no way for me to do that. I always want to try. So, I know that you're not fragile; that you are a strong, capable woman, but that part of me always wants to protect you, to not see you hurting. Forgive me?"

She wiped another tear away, then said, "Of course." She shrugged, "And maybe you're right, going to Seattle right before I have to go give my statement might be a bit much."

He raised his eyebrows, "Maybe I'm right? Huh."

She smirked, "It was bound to happen eventually."

He clicked his tongue, "I'll have to mark it in my calendar." They both chuckled, then he gave her a quick kiss and a hug that she held for longer than he expected, but he relished the feeling of her heart beating next to his. And, though he didn't realize it, she was savoring the feeling, too.

%%%%%%%%

After working on the new case for a few days; building a list of people the guys would want to talk to while they were in Seattle the following week, C.J. was at the ranch preparing her horse's stall. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, the cattle had already been delivered, and she wanted to be sure that Nutmeg had everything the way she liked it. It had been a long time since she had ridden her, or even seen her, for that matter. C.J. chastised herself for letting that happen. Nutmeg was a good mare; a sweet horse, who loved run flat out and jump fences. She had beaten Houston's horses in every race that they put them through. C.J. had been working on training her to do barrel runs when Houston had sold his ranch a few years ago. After that, it was harder and harder to get out to work with her.

That was all going to change now. Now C.J. would be able to spend her weekends at the ranch and go for rides with her. Houston said that he would welcome C.J.'s help with the cattle, too. And try as she might, she couldn't resist indulging in a fantasy or two of the two of them working hard all day, enjoying a meal at the end of the day, then maybe snuggling on the hammock, or on the couch watching a movie. Her thoughts wanted to go further, to kiss him like she did at the club, but she made herself stop there. It would only break her heart to, once again, see him dating some other woman if she let her thoughts go that far.

After she finished Nutmeg's stall, she went to the tack room to check on the saddle and bridle and the other items she would need to go riding. They were all looking a bit shabby from lack of use, so C.J. set about cleaning them. As she was working, she heard Houston call out for her. "In here!" she hollered out to him.

When he got to the doorway, he had a look on his face that she knew meant something was wrong. "C.J."

"What?" Her face and voice full of concern.

He let out a deep breath, he didn't want to tell her the news. "C.J., there's been an accident. Bo and Lamar…"

She inhaled in a panic, "Are they alright?"

He nodded, "Yeah, they're okay, but…" She waited for him to continue, and he had to swallow hard before he could, "A semi lost control and hit the trailer the horses were in…" He choked up, "A couple were killed instantly, and the others had to be put down at the scene."

She stood there blankly, trying to process what he was telling her. "Did… Did any of them make it?"

He crossed over to her and put his hands on her shoulders, "No, honey, none of them made it." He watched as she let his words process in her head and waited for them to get to her heart.

She stammered, "I… I wanna go… Yes, I wanna go to her." She needed to see her sweet Nutmeg and tell her she was a good horse. Tell her she was sorry for all the lost time. C.J. tried to move, but he held her firmly in place.

"No, C.J. you don't." He was going to try to be the voice of reason, but he knew she was a stubborn as he was.

"Yes… Yes, I need to go to her." She, once again, tried to move away from him, to go to the door.

He was shaking his head, "C.J. they described the scene to me, and I don't want you seeing her like that." Even after the conversation at the office; this was something he was going to protect her from, whether she liked it or not.

She was determined that he was not going to stop her from going to Nutmeg. So, she asked, "Are you going?"

He nodded, knowing where this conversation was headed, "Yes, I need to go…"

She didn't let him finish, "Then I'm going with you. Let's go." She finally managed to get away and past him to the door.

He was beginning to regret telling her, thinking that he should have waited until the scene was clear and then there wouldn't be anything for her to see. His voice raised in his frustration, "No, C.J.! You are _not_ going and that's final!"

She spun around and glared at him, her hands went to her hips, "You don't get to tell me what to do. If you're going, then I'm going."

His voice softened, "C.J., please, _please_, listen to me on this one. You won't be able to un-see this. This will be the last image of Nutmeg that you will have, lying on the side of the road, dead. Is that what you _really_ want?" Then he saw it hit her heart. Saw that little girl again in her eyes.

Her arms dropped to her side as her tears started to flow, "I just… I just need to…" She turned and walked away, out of the barn and to her car. She realized as she was walking, that she didn't even know where the accident was, but she would find it without him, somehow.

He caught up to her before she could open the door. He wasn't going to say any more to her, because he knew she wasn't going to listen. He leaned against the door and tried to catch her eye, but she stood there, staring down at the bridle in her hand. He reached over, put his hand around the bridle, and gently pulled it toward him. She took a step towards him and put her bent head in the middle of his chest, her body shaking as she broke into a sob. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

After a few minutes, she looked up horror struck, and gasped, "Oh, god! I'm sorry! Your horses are gone, too. I'm SO sorry!" His tears were falling and she quickly hugged him tightly.

He hugged her back, then moved her so he could see her face, and then said, "I have to go. Please, wait here. Will you be here when I get back?"

She nodded as she wiped his tears away, "Yes, of course, I will. Is there anything I can do? Phone calls?"

He shook his head, "No, I just need you to be here when I get back."

She nodded, "I will. I promise."

He gave her a quick kiss and another hug, then dashed to his truck and drove off. C.J. watched him go, then stood there frozen for a long time.

%%%%%%

After loosing all of the horses on Saturday, C.J. and Houston spent the rest of the day making sure Bo and Lamar were okay and settled into their quarters. They were unhurt physically, but for old cowboys like them, they took the deaths of the horses hard. No one was hungry, so Houston decided to forgo firing up the BBQ. He and C.J. snuggled on the couch watching a couple of B-movies. She left in the evening, and they both decided to go into the office on Sunday to try and keep their minds off of the tragedy. The next couple of days flew by and before they knew it, it was Tuesday and Houston was going to fly Roy and Will up to Seattle to do the legwork to find out what had happened to Sarah Harmon.

Before going to the airport to meet Uncle Roy and Will, Houston stopped at Chris' desk to check his messages. As he leafed through them, he saw that a message, meant for C.J., was mixed in with his. He was stunned when he read it. "Pirelli Tire Company in Milan. Wants to set up an interview." Then the phone number for her to call was on it.

Houston went from stunned to mad as he thought about what the message meant. The questions flooded his head, _"She's planning on leaving? How could she? Why wouldn't she have said something to me? Why would she go so far away?"_ As the questions without answers bombarded him, C.J. walked out of her office, and smiled when she saw him. He decided to hand the message to her and watch her reaction.

She looked at it and said, "Oh. Huh." She shrugged and then looked back to Houston, "Thanks. Have a safe trip and I will see you in Santa Fe." She waited for him to say his good-bye.

He wasn't going to let her get away with _that_ response, "You applied for a job in Italy?"

She nodded and responded casually, "Yeah, I had just put some feelers out, you know."

He was getting angrier, "No, I don't know. Feeler_s_? How many other places did you send your resume to?"

She ticked them off on her fingers, "Sydney, Singapore and Buenos Aires." He stared at her silently, "I know my Spanish and Italian aren't good, but it would have been a great way to learn."

How could she be so blasé about leaving him, leaving their business, and moving to another country? His tone was accusing, when he asked, "How can you even _think_ about leaving?"

Chris could see a very big argument coming on and decided to go to the lady's room until it was all over. She could tell she wasn't going to be able to squash this one with an offer of pizza topping choices like she had once before.

She shook her head, not completely sure why he was using that tone. "I sent them out before… before the wedding..." Then she said reassuringly, "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. It's no big deal, Houston."

The phrase, "before the wedding" didn't fully click in his head. He raised his voice, "I think it is a big deal. You were going to abandon the business to go traipsing off to a foreign country? _Why_?"

She put her hands on her hips, and asked incredulously, "Are you actually mad about this?"

He was almost shouting, "Yeah, I'm mad! We're supposed to be best friends, but you were going to leave without discussing it with me first?"

She was truly puzzled by him and her voice and her ire raised, "What would there have been to discuss?" He clearly wasn't remembering how he wasn't going to be a part of the business if he had married Elizabeth.

He threw up his hands, "Oh, I don't know, about how this business we built _together_, would have been left for Uncle Roy to fly solo with."

She raised her voice a little more, "He wasn't going to stay eith - Do I really have to spell it out for you?" Now she was getting mad.

He snipped at her angrily, "Since I'm not a Harvard trained lawyer, I guess you'd better."

Her anger built quickly, coming from a place she had been holding back since he had announced he was going to give up being a PI to appease Elizabeth. She started pacing halfway across the lobby and back as she spoke. She could not believe his gall, "How _dare_ you be mad at _me_!" She was trying to keep her angry tears at bay. But after her horse had died less than four days ago, her emotions were right at the surface.

She pointed down to the gym, "You sat down there…" She pointed to herself, "After I came to you and told you my concerns about everything changing because you were getting married. And you said, 'Don't worry C.J., nothing's gonna change'. But then how many days…" She shook her head and tossed her hand up, "…hours later did you stand over there," She was choking on her emotions as she pointed to the bar area, "And tell Roy and me that you were quitting the business, 'because Elizabeth can't handle the danger that goes with the job'?"

He was mad and not going to be swayed by her emotions, "But you guys were going to keep it going!" That was what he had pictured when he had told them. Houston Investigations still there helping those who needed help.

She hated that she was losing the battle with the tears that were stinging her eyes, "Houston, Roy was already retired once. He came here to work with _you_, his family, not with _me_." She wiped a tear away before continuing, "Not only that, not once did _anyone_ come through those doors looking for _my_ help. _Your_ name is on the building, _and_ on the agency. They came here looking for _your_ help, not _mine_."

Her next words tumbled out before she had a chance to really analyze them, "At best, at _best_, they all thought I was the arm candy that played on the computer and did the paperwork." Remembering Goodfellow's words, she threw them at Houston, "Like a glorified secretary."

He was still riled up and determined not to be influenced by her tears, so he said snidely, "And at worst?"

She narrowed her eyes, and hissed, "I was the piece of ass you had back at the office until something better, prettier, and more worthy of your attentions came along."

He was taken aback at her bluntness and her choice of words. She was never one for using such crass terms, even though she had grown up hearing them from the ranch hands on his Daddy's spread.

"So, did I contemplate working in another country?" She took an angry pause, "Yes. Yes, I did, because you were going to ride off into the sunset with her and have a perfect life, and _never_ look back because she would _never_ have let you." She choked back a heartbroken sob, her voice was soft and raspy, "She was _never_ going to let you continue to be my friend, Houston. _Never_."

It hit Houston that, _that_ was the fear C.J. was actually trying to confess to him in the gym that day. That he would have abandoned their friendship because Elizabeth would have dropped her pretense of being fine with his relationship with C.J. And she would lose not just a friend, but her family… again.

But as the tears streamed down her face, she continued, "And you would have gone along with whatever she said, because if she could make you give up the work that you love…" She shook her head, "I knew I was _nothing_ to you in comparison." She let that sink in for a second before resuming, "And I deserved to find my happiness, too. And I knew it wouldn't be here, so I was going to get as far away from all of this as possible."

His entire demeanor softened, his anger gone, and he stepped toward her reaching out to touch her arm, "C.J." He wanted to tell her that would never have happened had he married Elizabeth, and that her friendship meant more to him than his business ever did.

She took a step back and raised her hands away from him, "Don't. You have a plane to catch and I have work to do." With that she turned on her heel, walked into her office and closed the door.


	10. Chapter 10

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

The next day, after getting an early start and dividing up the list of people to talk to, the men met at _Matt's in the Market_ for lunch. They all felt like they had hit nothing but dead ends so far, but that they would continue in their quest to find out what happened to Sarah. Roy had his contacts in The Company checking into any possible serial killer angles, as this was the place that Ted Bundy got his start about ten years ago, and copycat killers were a possibility.

Houston had spent a great deal of yesterday and this morning thinking about what C.J. had said. How she felt Elizabeth would have made him stop being her friend if they had gotten married. He didn't feel like he had ever seen that side of Elizabeth in the six weeks they had gone from dating to engaged to a failed wedding ceremony. So, as they were all eating, he asked the pair a question that caught them off guard, "Do you think that Elizabeth would have stopped my friendship with C.J.?"

Both men froze mid-bite, quickly looked up at each other then back down to their sandwiches. Will swallowed some of his bite and muttered, "I never met her, sooo… I don't have an opinion on this subject. Dad?" Will had heard all about it from his father, but wasn't going to tell his cousin that. "Whiny", "clingy", "needy" and "dower princess" were the words his father had used, not necessarily in that order, and never to be relayed to Matt. Those are not the words any man wants to hear about the woman he's madly in love with and about to marry.

Roy shot Will a look and busied himself chewing while he thought of a way to answer him that was honest, but not so honest that if they ever got back together his nephew would never speak to him again. "Well, Matlock…" then he continued to chew.

Just then the waitress came by to refill their drinks and to ask how the food was. They all said the food was great, and Will asked, "Where do you like to go for dinner? We're looking for recommendations." He was half hoping that a long pause would cause his cousin to forget the question he had asked them, and thus helping his dad not have to answer.

She rattled off a list of her favorite local places, then noticed another table was motioning to her, so she went over to them.

Undeterred by the distraction, Houston asked, "Well, do you?"

Roy stalled, "What was the question again, boy?"

Houston shot him a look, "You know what the question was."

"Where is this coming from?" asked Roy hesitantly. He wasn't sure if Matlock could handle the truth, but he would give it to him, all of it, if pressed.

"C.J." He sighed remembering the emotional confrontation, "Before we left, I found out that she had sent her résumé to at least four foreign countries before the wedding. If Elizabeth and I had married, she was going to move, because she said that Elizabeth would have made me stop being friends with her. Do…"

Roy interrupted, "Yes." He decided he was old enough to just go for broke on this one. Maybe his answer would stop Matlock from ever getting back together with Elizabeth, even if it was an extremely remote possibility at the moment.

"Yes?" A dumbfounded Houston asked. He had really expected a "_No_" or "_You know how women are_" or even a "_What do you think, son?_", but not _that_ answer and so quickly.

Roy repeated, "Yes." The look on his face let Houston know that it was an unequivocal answer.

Houston knew he would never have given up his friendship with C.J., even if Elizabeth had asked him to. He was trying not to get angry, that way he could really listen to what his uncle was telling him, "Care to elaborate?"

Roy's blue eyes flared at him, "Not really, but I have a feeling you're not going to stop until I do." He put his sandwich down. "Elizabeth, like most of the women you dated, never understood your relationship with C.J. She tolerated it, and, yes, she would have put an end to it had you married her."

Houston was sure she wouldn't have; she was such a sweet, fragile woman in his mind. "Did she say this to you? In those words?" He needed details before he spoke to C.J. again.

Roy wiped his mouth with his napkin, "Not in those words, but close enough." He took a sip of his drink, "And before you ask, yes, I knew C.J. had sent out her résumé to those places. I encouraged her to do it, and I wrote her letters of recommendation."

Houston's jaw set and he held up his index finger, "I'll get back to that. Do you think I would have done it? Stopped being friends with C.J. just because Elizabeth told me to?"

Roy shook his head sympathetically, "Son, you were so over the moon with Elizabeth, you would have done anything she asked you without question." Houston started to say something, but Roy put up his hand, "Oh, she would have done it as subtly as she got you to give up your business." He paused then with his eyebrows raised, just so his nephew was clear on the matter, "She used emotional blackmail on you, boy."

"Emotional blackmail?!" Where was this coming from? He would have known if that were happening to him.

Roy was emphatic, "That's exactly what that was. She knew how much you wanted to be with her, how in love with her you were. She grew up in a family that had a violent history, so her contention that your job was too dangerous never sat right with me." He waved that last comment away, "Anyway, she used that against you. To get you to do what she wanted, which was to give up your business, so nothing could steal your attention away from her. And she managed just that."

Houston looked at him, quickly replaying his relationship with Elizabeth. "Even if that's true, how would she have gotten me to stop being friends with C.J.? Someone I've been friends with since we were kids."

Roy couldn't believe he was going to have to spell it out for him, "C.J. was also someone who would have taken your attention away from Elizabeth. She wasn't going to stand for that a minute longer than she had to, so she would have started with not giving you any messages from C.J. Made you think C.J. wasn't keeping in touch with you. She would have distracted you when you tried to call C.J. If you made plans to meet C.J. she would have come up with something that you had to do, so you would have to cancel those plans – and that includes feigning illness, so you wouldn't want to leave her bedside. In the end, she would have told you it was better for C.J. if you didn't call her, to let her get on with her own life. And yes, you would have gone along with it, son, because you had tunnel vision when it came to Elizabeth."

He couldn't believe that's what his Uncle thought of him, "Do you really think I would want to hurt C.J. like that?"

"Want to?" He scoffed, "No, not want to. But you would have done it for Elizabeth," He changed to a mock wistful tone, "'the woman from you dreams'. You were under her spell and you didn't care who you might have hurt to get her and keep her." Then, with a slight air of disgust mixed with sadness, he added, "You worshiped Elizabeth and you would have burnt your friendship with C.J. at Elizabeth's alter."

Houston was stunned, but Roy continued, "Oh, it might have hit you somewhere down the road what you gave up when you married Elizabeth, but by that time the damage would have been long done. And you wouldn't have found C.J., because she would have been living somewhere you wouldn't have thought to look for her."

Houston got very quiet and stayed that way for the rest of the day. He sent Roy and Will off to finish their interviews, while he sat on the wall across from _Piroshky Piroshky _watching the ships and boats come and go, thinking about everything that had happened in the last four months. Trying to see everything from Uncle Roy's and C.J.'s perspectives.

His heart now aching with the knowledge that they were both right in their assessments of his relationship with Elizabeth. He did have tunnel vision when it came to her. Elizabeth would have seen that, and, coming from her family background, would have known how to take advantage of it. She would have done all the things that Uncle Roy laid out to keep him from C.J. That made the aching intensify.

Aching at the thought of never seeing his C.J. again. Not seeing her smile or hearing her laugh or their talks, both intellectual and trivial. Aching at the pain he caused her because he didn't hear her words in the gym that day, and the pain she would have had at losing her friend and the only people she considered her family. He felt so ashamed of himself, and he sat there wondering if he could ever make it up to her and how would he even begin.

%%%%%%%%%

That Saturday, C.J. was sitting down at BABY, doing background checks on some names Uncle Roy had called in. None of them looked promising. She had also been checking with stores in the area to see if any of them had CCTVs, and if, by some long, long shot they would have the tapes from around the time that Sarah disappeared a year ago.

Her mind drifted to the confrontation she had with Houston before he left, as it had every hour or so since it had happened. She knew every word she said about Elizabeth was true, but she wished she hadn't said them to him. It wasn't his fault that Elizabeth was so beguiling to him, and that he couldn't see what others could. Hadn't she had the same issue with Robert? And what good did it do to tell Houston now? Between the confrontation, Nutmeg's death, and trying to get the wording right on her impact statement, her stomach was in knots. Adding to the knots was the fact that Houston hadn't called her; all the calls from the guys had been from Roy. The couple of times she had asked to speak to Houston he was never available.

As the knots started again, she got up and went down to the gym just to get herself moving, and out of her own head. She noticed that Houston had left the towels hanging on the barbells, and decided to toss them in the laundry. She scanned the room for any other items that might need washed when she saw it. His college sweatshirt.

It made her half-smile remembering the day, what seemed like only a few weeks ago, he found her in his house wearing nothing but. She went over and picked it up. She held it up, almost hugging it and smelled it. It smelled like him, and she closed her eyes while taking a slow, deep inhale of it. She felt her knots release a little. She took her jacket off and slipped it on over her shirt, then sniffed the collar again. It was like he was giving her a hug. She needed his hugs right now.

Chris called down to her, "C.J.? Phone call line 2."

"Did they say who it was?" She really didn't want to take any trivial calls today.

"The manager from the '76' gas station." Was the reply.

She perked up, and dashed upstairs to take the call, so she would have paper and pen in hand. After talking with the manager, she then called Houston's presidential suite in Seattle.

Roy answered, "Hello."

Trying to hide her disappointment, "Hey, Roy. I just got a call from the manager at the gas station that's just up the road from where Sarah lived."

This sounded more promising than anything so far. "What did he say?"

"He said that he gave all of the tapes that he had to the police that were investigating the case."

"How many tapes did he give them?" He was at the dining table, and pulled paper and pen over and started making notes.

She checked her notes, "He's an unusual shop keeper, most only keep them for a couple of weeks then tape over them, but since he's been robbed so many times, he keeps six months' worth of them. He handed them all over and since they never gave them back, I'm thinking they must still be in the evidence lock up."

He looked at his watch, "You're right, they probably are. Well, since it's a Saturday, we won't be able to get them until Monday."

She smiled, "Unless you guys pull some strings." Uncle Roy had worked for The Company and had contacts _everywhere_.

He smiled, "Unless we pull some strings, and I believe I have a few I can pull in this neck of the woods. Thanks, C.J. Anything else?" He knew what the next question would be.

"No, that was it for now… Is Houston there?" She knew he would say that he wasn't in. It was the standard answer to her since they arrived in Seattle.

"Uuhh, you just missed him. He and Will stepped out to check on a lead." He glowered at Houston, who was sitting on the couch watching the game with Will, because he hated lying to C.J. like that.

Houston quickly looked away. He was still feeling like he didn't know what to say to her, but whatever it was, he wasn't going to say it over the phone. He wanted to be able to see her, so he could gauge her reaction and adjust accordingly. He did not want to make the situation worse.

"Oh, okay…" She wanted to say more, but knew nothing she told Roy would make Houston want to talk to her. He must be really angry with her.

He felt like she needed to talk, so he asked, "How's your statement coming along, dear?"

She wasn't at all sure that she was ready for giving the statement five days from now. "It's… It's… Okay, I guess. I… I…" she let out a heavy sigh and bit her bottom lip.

"It's not like you to be unsure of yourself." He shot daggers at Houston, knowing that if he would just talk to her, she would feel better and more confident.

She sighed again, and swallowed hard, "Yeah, I know… I…" Her voice started to break, "I should let you go, so you can pull those strings."

He felt for her, "Aww, C.J., it's gonna be just fine. Do you want to read it to me?"

She told a small white lie, "It's on my computer, and I just shut it down. I'll let you go and if I hear anything else, I'll call."

His fatherly instincts kicked in, "C.J., when was the last time you ate?"

She had to really think, "Uummm… I had dinner last night." It was actually breakfast yesterday, but he didn't need to know that.

He could tell she was hedging the truth, but pressed on with his fatherly advice, "Dear, you need to eat to keep up your strength. Don't need you getting sick and winding up in the hospital before your trip. Now promise me the minute we hang up you'll get something to eat."

She didn't like to be cajoled like this, but appreciated it all the same, "Uncle Roy…"

"Promise me." He said with a firm voice.

She sighed, "I promise."

"I will be calling Chris in about 10 minutes to check on you." And they both knew he would.

"Am I that untrustworthy?" She asked with a chuckle.

He chuckled, "At this moment, about this topic? Yes."

She rolled her eyes, "Fine, I will go stand at her desk while I eat. Happy?"

He looked at his watch so he could time out his phone call to Chris, "I'm not unhappy. Talk to you later, C.J."

She smiled, "Okay. Bye."

"Bye, dear." After he hung up, he picked up the nearest item, which was a decorative wicker ball from the center piece on the table, and whipped it hard across the room at Houston, hitting him in the side of the head with it.

Houston put his hand where the ball had hit him, "OW! Uncle Roy!"

He was mad Matlock was making him be the middle man. He intoned, "CALL. YOUR. FRIEND! She's hurting and she needs to hear your voice. CALL HER!" He then marched to his bedroom, and slammed the door shut.

Will looked at Houston, "I think, and I'm just spitballin' here, that he wants you to call C.J." Houston glowered at him. "You two are miserable without each other. Dad knows it. I know it. Everyone knows it. So, call her."

Houston responded by getting up and walking to his room, and shutting the door.

%%%%%%%%%

The days flew by and the first day of victim impact statements came and went. It was emotional for everyone in Judge Sanders courtroom. Some women yelled at Butz. Some could barely form sentences, even as they read from their prepared statements. C.J. sat next to Rhonda and Fran; they had a bond that none of them had expected. And C.J. needed that bond because Houston was a no-show.

As they sat in a booth at dinner that night, Rhonda said, "Come on, honey. He's probably onto a great lead, one that you gave him, and he can't pull up stakes just yet. He'll be here by the time you have to give yours."

C.J. agreed with her just so they could move on to a different topic, "Yeah, you're probably right." She looked at Rhonda, "I'm glad you're in the room right down the hall." They had happily bumped into each other in the elevator the night before, and spent some time catching up in each other's rooms.

Having heard the "were just friends" speech from C.J. repeatedly during their infrequent phone calls over the months since their ordeal, Rhonda commented, "I would have thought you two would have a suite with two bedrooms, so what changed? I want all the juicy details." Her grin was punctuated by her double wink.

C.J. shook her head with a grin, "Nothing's changed. The hotel overbooked and gave our suite away to the person who checked in before me. And there were no rooms with double beds left, so a king it is."

Rhonda nodded thoughtfully, "Well, now that has possibilities."

C.J. shook her head, "There are no possibilities. We're just friends." Why was that always so hard for people to believe?

Rhonda was emphatic, "Honey, a man don't track down a woman he's just friends with and rescue her from hell if there are _no_ possibilities."

"Well, this one does." She looked down at the menu. She wasn't particularly hungry, but didn't want to get a lecture from Uncle Roy again.

Rhonda paused and assessed C.J. carefully, "Honey, when's the last time you had your ticket punched?"

C.J. was taken aback, she was not familiar with this term, "I'm sorry, what?"

Rhonda grinned and wiggled her eye brows, "You know… The horizontal mambo, the dance with no pants…"

C.J. grinned when she thought about Kai, "About three weeks ago."

Rhonda rubbed her hands together and leaned forward with her elbows on the table, and a big smile, "Oooo! Do tell!"

"Do tell what?" asked Fran as she sat down next to Rhonda. They were night and day, the two of them. Both were pretty, but Rhonda had pale skin, blue eyes and flaming red hair, while Fran had caramel skin, dark brown eyes and dark brown hair. They both had been through the school of hard knocks growing up, which made them equally tough and hard headed.

Rhonda smiled, "C.J.'s about to tell us about her latest lust-n-thrust."

Fran smirked, "I know with the nature of this trial we shouldn't be thinking about this, but I could go for a good tale of putting the ranch dressing in the hidden valley."

Seeing how wide C.J.'s eyes got at that, Rhonda decided to toss another one out there. "Takin' ol' one eye to the optometrist." Rhonda nodded.

"Pondering the unicorn." Fran added, after she saw C.J.'s jaw drop a little at what Rhonda said.

C.J. burst out laughing. "You ladies! Where do you get these terms?!" C.J. was far from being a virgin, and working on Bill Houston's ranch growing up, she had heard the ranch hands say many things, but never any of those expressions.

Fran scoffed and nudged Rhonda, "What did they teach you at Harvard?"

"None of those terms, that's for sure!" She then covered her mouth as she giggled.

Rhonda asked, "They didn't teach you – Playing with the box the kid came in?"

Fran was grinning, "Loading the clown into the cannon…"

The list went on and on and C.J.'s face was sore from laughing by the time she got back to her room. She needed a good laugh after the events of the past week. She checked and there were no messages on the phone. She decided that Rhonda was right, he would be here for her like he promised. He wouldn't let her down. She was sure of it. In the meantime, she slept with his sweatshirt on at night and carried it with her to the courtroom during the day.

As day two came and went and Houston didn't show up, not even that evening, nor were there any messages, she started to panic internally. Did she ruin their 20-year friendship with one argument? She busied herself wording and rewording her statement, and worked into the wee hours of the morning before finally falling asleep with her head on the desk.

%%%%%%%%%%

The final day of the impact statements, Rhonda and Fran went right before the judge called for a quick recess, then it would be C.J.'s turn and then a break for lunch. C.J. had her arms folded in front of her, his sweatshirt draped over them while she was speaking with the DA. She turned around and there he was.

He studied her, not sure what to say, then he spotted a familiar item of clothing. "That's my sweatshirt you're holding."

She looked down, then tried to hand it to him, "I know. Sorry, here." She was so worn out, she didn't notice he wasn't mad, but thought he might be and she didn't want to start a quarrel right here in the hallway.

It killed him that she didn't pick up on the call back to that night. He gently pushed it back to her, "No, it's okay. Hold on to it." She looked exhausted and diminished. He was kicking himself for not having spoken to her in over a week. Roy was right. "We need to talk."

She felt like she was about to throw up, because of the way all the emotions were hitting her at once, and she needed to focus. "I can't do this right now, Houston." She was looking at the floor.

He lifted her chin with his bent index finger, "I know. I meant this evening. Okay?" She nodded. He stroked her cheek, "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, but I'll tell you that story later, too."

The DA came over, "Ms. Parsons, is this your support person?" C.J. nodded, then she looked at Houston, who she remembered from the depositions, "Okay. Mr. Houston, you will be allowed to stand behind or next to Ms. Parsons as she gives her statement, whatever she would like. You, however, cannot say anything or do anything while she's speaking. I know you were a part of the arrest, but I urge you to keep your temper under control, and just focus on her needs. Butz is going to prison, no point in you going in there with him because you let your temper make you do something stupid. Got it?"

He put his hand on C.J.'s shoulder and said, "Of course, I promise to behave myself."

The lights above the doors flashed and a buzzer sounded, and everyone in the hall filed back into the courtroom. After the judge entered the room, and called the DA to the bench, she then returned to her table and called out, "Ms. C.J. Parsons will now give the final victim impact statement."

She took a deep breath and stood up and made her way to the podium. Houston stood a step behind her. He kept focused on her, so that he wouldn't let his anger get the best of him. He wanted to run over and get as many hits in as possible before the bailiffs tackled him, but he sent all his energy towards calming C.J.

She put her statement on the podium then griped it to steady her shaking hands, then began, "Mr. Butz – I have so many things I need to say to you. Most of them you've heard from the other women you victimized. So, this is what I want the court to know."

She cleared her throat, "That day when you came to the bar to arrest me, you had no cause. I was terrified. I had done nothing wrong. My only crime was being in that bar with a guy you paid to give you tips on single women that you could falsely arrest. There was only one other witness that day, and you arrested her, too. I was terrified. When I told you, I didn't know who I was, when you saw the cut and the bruise on my head, you should have gotten me medical attention, but you didn't. I was terrified."

She took a deep breath, then released it slowly before she continued, "You were too busy thinking about your own sordid desires. You were only interested in giving me your brand of 'orientation', and that meant you were going to subdue me by force and rape me. Just like you did with hundreds of other women before me. If one of the deputies hadn't interrupted, you would have succeeded. You left me in your office so you could come back later… to rape me. I was terrified." Her voice caught, and she paused. Houston stepped closer and put his hand on her shoulder.

She took strength from him and continued, "When you came back, you were intent on raping me, but Piser interrupted and told you to leave me alone. Not because he was a better man than you, but because he wanted me to fetch him a high price at the 'parties' you liked to throw for rich men. Rich men who didn't mind paying to rape women. Women who had no interest in them. Women, it was rumored, that you had killed if they didn't go along with what you wanted them to do, and some of them you killed anyway. I was terrified." Her voice had broken on the last sentence and tears began to fall. Houston gave her shoulder a squeeze.

She wiped a tear away, her voice shaky, "You knew I would fight, so you had me drugged before the party. The drugs made me sick to my stomach and made my already aching head throb. I was terrified. You had us all dress in string bikinis and high heels. Just enough to cover us. But if we did manage to elude you, to run for freedom, it would cause us to die of exposure in the desert elements. I was terrified."

She looked down at her statement, pausing, then her voice grew stronger, "But before you loaded us onto the van, I saw a man outside my cell door. Did I know him? I couldn't remember. He was dressed in a guard uniform, but his face was kind. Not like yours. He called me C.J. Yet, I was terrified."

She shook her head before she continued, "At the party, the men wanted to believe that any of us actually wanted to be there. That any of us actually wanted their 'attentions' or more plainly, to be raped by them. You were off raping one of the women, when that same man with the kind face broke in and started fighting with the guards. Why was he so familiar? He was fighting, and I helped fight, too. He chased you down and then the other authorities arrived. I knew him. I remembered. I remembered that he was my friend. My best friend and he came to rescue me. I remembered my life. I remembered that _I_ was C.J. C.J. Parsons. I remembered that I got my law degree at Harvard, and I knew that I would use that degree to make sure that you and all those other men were never able to do that to any woman ever again."

Her tears were gone and she was now the woman in charge. She looked directly at him. She didn't need to look at her statement for this part, "Mr. Butz – As I look at you, I can see you are now the one who is terrified. Terrified of what will happen to you once the prison bars slam shut and the lock clicks. All your power to decide what you do and don't want done to you, will be gone. I know how it feels, and you _should_ be terrified. But I will leave this place and go on with my life and put all of it behind me. I am no longer terrified."

Some of the women clapped, but the judge quickly called for order. C.J and Houston turned around, and as they walked back to the benches she stopped and hugged the DA. Then C.J. hugged Rhonda and Fran as she was making her way back to their spots and the bench. Houston put his arm around her shoulders and she reached for his other hand to hold. He whispered in her ear, "That was perfect. I knew you could do it." She looked at him and gave a little smile, and squeezed his hand.

%%%%%%%%%

There was a break for lunch, so C.J. took Houston back to their room to talk. It took them a while to get there because of the traffic, but when they finally arrived, he was surprised when the room wasn't a suite and there was only one bed. She quickly explained what happened. He looked skyward and thought, _"This is a test, right?"_ In the past sharing a king-sized bed with C.J. would have been effortless because they were "just friends", but now that he realized that he loved her in a romantic way, too… This was not going to be easy for him. He wondered how cold the water in the shower got.

She tossed the pillows to the opposite side of the bed, sat with her back against the headboard and patted the spot on the bed next to her. He climbed onto the bed and moved to the other side of her and settled beside her, taking her hand in his. As she leaned her head on his should she asked, "So were you able to get the videos? Did you find anything helpful?"

Houston wanted to talk about the elephant in the room, but thought this might be an easier topic if they were called back from lunch quickly. At least, she didn't seem to be uncomfortable with him, so he leaned his head on hers. "Yes, that has been a big help. We spotted a guy who was always in there around the time she was. His face hasn't been very clear so far. We're hoping that we will be able to find a shot of him clear enough, that Uncle Roy can get it run through BABY to see if we come up with a name. It's just taking a long time to go over 6 months' worth of tapes. We'll have to go ask to look at the tapes he didn't hand over to the cops; the ones after she disappeared, to see if he continued to go at the same time or if he stopped."

She sighed, "Six months; That's roughly 4,383 hours of tape, so that will take a while. 8,766 hours for a whole years' worth of tapes…" Suddenly, she was very tired, and his voice was soothing her into relaxing. Her stomach knots were all but gone.

"We started from the last date she was seen and have been taking shifts looking back through them. They won't let us remove them from the building, but are letting use an office with a TV and VCR. That's why I wasn't here until today. I'm sorry." He gave her a kiss on the head.

"I was beginning to wonder if…" The phone rang and she reached over to get it. "Hello… Yes, we're on our way." She hung up and looked at him, "The judge is back from lunch and ready to give his sentence in thirty minutes. If the traffic is as hectic as it was…" She slid off the bed, and he followed, but didn't let go of her hand as they walked out of the room.

%%%%%%%%

After Judge Sanders entered the over crowded courtroom, and after everyone was seated, he asked Butz to stand. "Mr. Butz, having read what you were a part of, and having heard you admit your guilt; it didn't paint a true picture of the horror that you put these women through. Listening to every word, of every one of the 60 women who spoke over the past three days…"

He looked over to the women seated on the benches and the ones standing at the back of the room, because there were no seats left, "And I did hear _each_ and every one of you. From the homeless, to the college students, to the well-trained lawyer…" His eyes went to C.J. and she teared up.

He looked back at Butz, paused and swallowed, "Knowing that they are but a small fraction of the number of women that you did this to. It makes me _sick_. I have a wife, daughters, nieces and granddaughters and the thought of that happening to any of them sends chills down my spine. And the fact that you basically hunted these women down, arrested them under false pretenses just to use them as prostitutes for your monetary gain, and then murdered many of them… Words fail me… Almost."

He looked into the gallery across all of the women there, "As an officer of the court, I know there is very little I can do that will make up for what happened to you all at the hands of another man who was supposed to be upholding the law. I can only hope that the sentence I pass today, will in some small way give you peace as you move on from this day."

At this point Butz was fidgeting uncomfortably, and the judge said, "Mr. Butz, your plea deal took the death penalty off the table, and therefore I sentence you to life in prison without the possibility of parole." Butz started shaking and crying, but Judge Sanders was unmoved, "Now get him out of my courtroom."

The bailiffs had to practically carry Butz out because he was refusing to move his feet, then he started pleading, "Nooo! They wanted it! They wanted to party! This isn't fair! They're a bunch of whores! All of 'em are whores! NO!"

After the door was shut, Judge Sanders shook his head, "I made the right choice." He looked at the women, and said, "Court is adjourned." Then exited to his chambers.

Houston would have thought there would have been a clamor to get out of the courtroom, but instead, the women were all hugging and telling each other how moving their testimonies were. He caught C.J.'s attention and motioned to let her know he would be in the hallway waiting for her. She nodded and smiled at him, before the DA came over to her. It was over an hour before the first of the women started to come out of the courtroom and another hour more before they were told they all had to clear the room. So, the conversations spilled over into the hallway, and many of them were exchanging numbers and C.J. was handing her card out to all of the women who asked for it.

Finally, she came over to where he sat on a bench, and he stood up and hugged her. "I am so proud of how brave you were today."

She held him tight, "I didn't feel brave. I was so scared."

He pulled back and looked into her hazel eyes, "I've heard that the only time you can really be brave is when you're scared." She smiled at him, and leaned in for another hug.

Then Rhonda said, "Alright, break it up you two! How 'bout a little sugar for me and Fran?"

Fran chimed in, "Yeah, she's not the only one who got up there today."

Houston let go of C.J. and proceed to give each of the women a big hug. "So, what do you ladies have planned? I was thinking about taking you all out for a nice dinner."

Rhonda and Fran shook their heads, then Rhonda said, "Sorry, cowboy. It's our last night here and we're having lady's night."

Fran gave him her stern look, "No men allowed." Then she gave him a wink.

He put his hands up in surrender, "Alright, alright, but I need to talk to C.J. for one minute."

Fran said, "Fine." Then she looked at C.J., "C.J. we'll meet you at the restaurant."

C.J. smiled, "OK." She looked at Houston, and said softly, "I know, we need to talk. I promise I won't be out late. I'm really tired anyway."

He nodded and gave her a kiss on the forehead, "I will see you later. Be sure to eat something and behave yourself."

She grinned, "Don't I always?" She saw the look on his face and put her hand up, "Don't answer that." Then she walked off down the hallway.

%%%%%%%%%%

Houston decided to wander around the Santa Fe Plaza, get a bite to eat and do some people watching. He was surprised when he looked down at his watch and it was 10:30 already. He had managed to work out how he was going to talk with C.J. about the argument they had, and how to handle talking with the guy who had clearly been following Sarah, once they figured out who he was and where to find him.

As he approached the door to their room, he heard the ladies laughing. It was a great sound to hear. He opened the door and stepped inside, walked past the bathroom, but was not prepared for what he saw. Rhonda and C.J. were sitting on the bed, and Fran was modeling one of C.J.'s outfits. Which wouldn't have been so unusual except for the fact that C.J. was in her black bra and underwear and the outfit that Fran had on was the one C.J. was wearing in court today.

He grinned, "Ladies." He spotted the two empty whiskey bottles on the desk, and another half empty one next to them. He didn't spot any mixers, so they must have been doing shots.

"Oooh, iss Hooson!" slurred Fran. "Waddaya think?" and she gave him a couple of exaggerated poses. The other two giggled.

He knew he wasn't going to be talking with C.J. tonight. "It's very nice, Fran. Very becoming." One drunk woman he could handle, but three? He had his work cut out for him. He looked at C.J., "Did you eat?" He wanted to gauge how he was going to have to handle her later if she hadn't.

C.J. smiled and said, "Hooson, Iiiiii, ate a whoooole hambargar and fwench… and fwench… and fwench fwies." She giggled.

Fran corrected her, "No! You, you, you had a cheezzzz bargar. Chezbargerar? Dere was chez and you ate it allllllll." Then she giggled, too.

Houston looked at them, "I hope you all ate something."

Rhonda looked offended, "Of course! We're not amderturs…" She checked with C.J., "Is dat right? Amderturs?"

C.J. nodded, "Yes! Das right! And I would know, cuz I godda one sebenteee nine on my LSATs."

Fran looked impressed, "No kiddn'?"

C.J. got serious, "I lub you guys! I would not kid 'bout dat! Assssk Hooson, he tell ya'" They all looked at him.

He was finding it hard to keep a straight face, "It's true." He grinned at how damn cute she was when she was drunk like this.

Just then Rhonda hopped up and staggered over to him, "Hooson, I…"

Fran seemed insulted and interrupted, "WE…" It was their idea and she was not going to be left out of it.

Rhonda pointed at Fran, "Das right." Then she poked Houston in the chest, "Hooson, WE have somefin to talk to you 'bout…"

"Do you?" He looked at C.J., but right then she fell onto the pillows with a soft thud, her eyes closed.

The girls turned to look at C.J., and Fran stumbled over to her and examined her as closely as her drunken eyes would let her. "Sheez okay. Poor girl _can't_ handler her liquor." She patted C.J. hard and C.J. jumped a little then went limp again. "Yeah, sheez okay."

Rhonda continued, "OKAY!" She put her finger to her lips, "SHHHHH!" and she poked Houston in the chest, "You're gonnanana wake her up, SHHHHH!" Houston smirked and imitated the motion.

Fran stumbled back over to Houston and Rhonda, "She just, she just can't handlerer boobs…" Then she snickered, "Boobs! I said boobs!"

Rhonda laughed loudly, "HA! SHHHHH!" And she poked Houston hard again and gave him a stern look.

Houston was trying hard to keep it together, because experience told him that nothing makes a happy drunk turn into an angry drunk faster than if they think you're laughing at them. "Ladies, do you think we could put her pajamas on her so she doesn't get cold?"

Rhonda said while poking him in the chest, "Das wha we wanna talk about."

Fran was emphatic, "Yes, WE."

Rhonda nodded, "Yes, WEEE think you should make a baby wit C.J." She put her hands up, "Sooo nooo peejamas neededed."

Houston was surprised at this turn in the conversation, "Well, I think that's between C.J. and I, don't you?"

Fran stumbled back over to C.J., lifted her head off the pillow with one hand and squeezed her face with the other, "Look at dis face. Dis is a boooTEEful face. Doncha wanna babies wit dis boooTEEful face?" She kissed C.J. on the forehead, then dropped her head unceremoniously back onto the pillow, and stumbled back over to them. C.J. did not stir.

He half wanted to tell them that he did want to make babies with C.J., but could tell they didn't need any encouragement. "Again, I think…" Houston started before he was interrupted again.

Rhonda let out an exasperated sigh, "Don't think! Just give her some baby batter already."

Before he could answer, Fran added emphatically, "MAYBE. MAYbe, we're gonna haveta do it like in da oldenen days. Dey used ta have da women a da village sit around da bed and give 'em pointers." She became all excited at this wonderful idea she had, and began clapping her hands and bouncing up and down, "WE could do dat for you!"

Rhonda agreed, "Yes! OK, take off your pants" She reached for his belt buckle and he had to jump back, "Is ok, we TOTALLY can help you wit dis."

Fran lurched at him while saying, "Yeah, is nah weeeeird. Is time honored traDItion."

He was gently batting their hands away from his belt and his zipper, "Now ladies, I…"

Another idea hit Fran, "OH!" Then she stage whispered behind her hand to Rhonda, "Maybe his lil cowboy is shy."

Rhonda nodded gravely, then addressed Houston's crotch, "Is ok lil cowboy, come on out n play with C.J."

Houston saw an out and quickly said, "You know what ladies? You're right. He _is_ shy, so why don't you go back to your rooms…"

Rhonda shook her head, "No, no, no, no… We're…"

"WE'RE…" Fran was not going to be left out.

Rhonda poked Houston again, "Yes, WE'RE, gonna help you give her da hot beef injection. Soooo, take of dem pants, missser."

Houston had to think fast, "I tell you what, I promise that in the morning, when she's awake to enjoy it…"

It hit Rhonda, "Oooh! Das right! She gonna wanna enjoy it."

"Damn straight she gonna wanna enjoy it." Fran agreed.

"Yes, so I will…" He rolled his head slightly before saying the next part, "Give her some 'baby batter' in the morning, IF you two leave right now."

They looked at each other, then Rhonda spoke, "Welllll, okay, but we…"

"WE!" Fran added.

"Yes, WE wanna hear her moanin' 'Oh, god, oh, god, oh, god' in da mornin' all da way down from my room." She poked him in the chest again, and he was amazed how she managed to find the exact same spot to poke each time.

Houston held back a snicker and nodded, "I promise she will say exactly that in the morning." He couldn't wait to tell C.J. what she missed. "Do you need me to escort you back to your rooms?"

Fran scowled, "Psssssshhhh, nah, we can do it."

He escorted them to the door then watched to be sure they got into Rhonda's room alright. He then shut the door and put the extra lock on, to be sure that they wouldn't be able to walk back in in the middle of the night.

He then went over to C.J., wrestled the covers out from under her, pulled them over her, then went and got ready for bed. As he was brushing his teeth, C.J. appeared at the door.

She had a rather fixed stare, but said softly, "I need... to... brush my teef." Then she staggered over to the sink and grabbed her toothbrush, but needed to lean against him to steady herself. He helped her put the toothpaste on her tooth brush, and had to nudge her a couple of times so she would finish.

He was trying not to stare at her, but she looked great in her black bra and panties, and the way her body felt leaning against his. He had to think of baseball again. After they were finished brushing, he made sure she drank a full glass of water. He then escorted her back to bed, laid her on her side, put pillows under her knee and her arm and one behind her to keep her from rolling onto her back. He kissed her on the forehead, then paused and said at a normal volume, "C.J.? C.J.?" When she made no response of any sort he whispered in her ear, "I love you, C.J. Always know that I love you. Sweet dreams."


	11. Chapter 11

I want to thank everyone for the feedback! It is MUCH appreciated!

I also want to give you a heads up about some coarse language in part 3 of this chapter. Hopefully you'll understand why I used it the way I did.

Enjoy!

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

C.J. had a restless night and Houston got up every time she went to the bathroom to be sure she didn't hurt herself in an unfamiliar room, waited until she was done, then made her drink a glass of water every time she got up. He was sitting at the desk making some notes, when she woke up at around 8am, he looked over to see her looking around the room, then looked down at what she was wearing, or not wearing as the case was. "Good mornin', sunshine." He was grinning from ear to ear.

She looked over and saw he was up and working already, still in his pajama bottoms. She asked slowly, trying to remember what happened last night, "Why am I not wearing pajamas?"

Houston chuckled, "Well, that, darlin', is a story I will happily tell you in a little while."

She closed her eyes, "Uh-oh, that bad?" She couldn't remember much after eating dinner with Rhonda and Fran, then coming back to the room and doing some shots. She vaguely recalled the ladies wanting her to get pregnant by Houston, but not much else.

His grin didn't diminish and his eye brows waggled, "Oh, no. It's that good, but I have something I need to run by you first." He walked over to the bed, crawled up next to her and rested himself with his elbows partially on the pillow next to her, while lying on his belly.

She glanced over at him and sighed. A hazy memory hit her, "Wait… Before you start. Did I do anything inappropriate last night?" Maybe it was just a dream she had of kissing him, and him touching and kissing her in places he never had before. If it was a dream, it was one of her best yet.

He replied in a deadpan manner, "No, not at all." He wasn't going to tell her that after one of her trips to the bathroom, as he was helping her back into bed, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately, and he returned the kiss with just as much zeal. She then pulled him down on top of her in the bed and with no resistance on his part, they made out like wanton teenagers. He almost made Rhonda and Fran very proud, but he came to his senses and put a stop to it before it went too far, adjusted her undergarments, then after she fell asleep again, took a long, cold shower. He felt that it wasn't really lying to her, because _he_ didn't think it was inappropriate. In fact, after she wrapped her legs around him, it gave him a glimpse of what an, as Kai referred to it, "intense religious experience" with her would be like, and he definitely wanted more of that. And he didn't think this was the time to really get into why he didn't stop it at the kiss, so he figured he'd wait to tell her about their make out session until their golden wedding anniversary.

"Okay, good." Because if she had actually been stroking his… How humiliating would that have been? If she had thrown herself at him and he didn't think of her that way. But in her dream, he was just as into it as she was, hmmm… She shook her head clear of that thought, and heaved a sigh. "OK, shoot." This was the talk she was dreading; the one where he tells her how mad she made him for almost walking away from their business. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes, so she played with the seam on the sheet.

So, he began, "I have a friend who has a problem, and I was hoping we could work out a solution for him."

Her eyes shifted trying to figure out where he was going with this. "Alright."

He looked at her, "You see this friend… Well, he fell in love with this woman."

"Did he?" She wanted to ask "_what woman?_", because he had a very active social life, but decided not to be flippant and to just let him talk.

He surveyed the pillow in front of him and occasionally glanced at C.J., "Yes, they hadn't known each other very long, but he fell head over heels for her. But what he couldn't see was how this woman was affecting the other people in his life."

She decided to go with a tactful, "Oh?"

He was a little disappointed she wasn't meeting his eyes, but went on, "Yes, what this friend's uncle saw was the woman was jealous of his business and his best friend."

"The uncle saw this?" She was wondering what he was going to have to say about the best friend.

He rested his chin on his fist, "Mmm, hmm. And the woman was apparently manipulating my friend. Got him to do things he never would have done normally. Like give up his business. A business he was passionate about. One he had built with his best friend."

She ventured, "Did his best friend see he was being manipulated, too?"

He nodded, "I think she did."

Her eyebrows raised, "She? That might be problematic for him and the woman he was with." She clarified, "That the best friend was a 'she' and not a 'he'."

He nodded, "Turned out _it was_ a problem for the woman. Though, she never gave my friend _any_ indication that it was a problem for her. But his uncle and best friend saw it. And to be perfectly honest, it wouldn't have mattered if it had been a 'he' and not a 'she'. The woman wanted his sole attention."

She took in a deep breath and let it out, "Maybe they should have said something to him."

He clicked his tongue and shook his head, "The uncle knew it would be of no use, that my friend wouldn't have heard a word against the woman. His best friend tried to tell him that she was afraid of how my friend's marriage to the woman would change everything, but he didn't comprehend it, not really. All he could see was the woman." He added, "Percy Sledge knew what he was talking about in that song."

She nodded and then thought for a few moments, "Maybe… Maybe, the best friend should have been more direct. Said it plainly, so he would have understood the true nature of her fears."

He dropped his head on his arm, "No, see… He was so blinded, that he would have just been mad at his best friend, and she knew it, so she said it the only way he wouldn't take it badly and over react. Unfortunately, my friend had no clue how close he came to losing his best friend because of this woman."

"How close was he?" It hurt her to know close it really was. She would have left for Sydney a less than 2 weeks after they had left on their months-long honeymoon to Ireland, and only Uncle Roy would have known how to get in touch with her. She would have stayed in LA just long enough to turn over the reins to Murray and Uncle Roy.

He sighed, "Well, she saw the writing on the wall with the woman, and planned on moving to a far-off land just to avoid the pain that would have come had the woman put her plan into action."

"The woman had an actual plan?" This was news to her. She had suspected it would have just happened organically, not that Elizabeth had it planned out.

He tilted his head a bit, "According to the uncle, she did. The woman would have purposefully driven a wedge between him and his best friend."

She bit her bottom lip, "And what does your friend think now? I mean, now that he has had some space, can he see the woman had a plan?"

He nodded, "Yes, he can see it now. And he's very angry with himself for being so easily manipulated by the woman and for hurting his best friend like that. See, he needs his best friend and he would be lost without her. Luckily the woman left and the best friend stayed, but he doesn't know how to apologize for the hurt he caused his best friend."

She reached over and started lightly running her fingers through his hair, "It sounds like the best friend, because she stayed, already knows…" She paused, "I think you should tell your friend… That all he has to do is say he's sorry."

He pondered that, "Yeah, but what will she say? He hurt her deeply, and he never intended to do that to her, ever. And sorry doesn't seem to cover it."

She stroked his stubbly cheek, "I would think she'd tell him that it's water under the bridge. The woman is gone, they're still friends, and she's living in LA and not in Sydney." He quickly met her eyes, but she continued, "And that she needs him in her life, too."

He rolled onto his side to face her, resting his head on his hand. With his other hand he took her hand and kissed it, then they held hands. "I'm _so_ sorry C.J."

She smiled a little, "I know. It's okay. I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose." She leaned toward him and she gave him a quick kiss, then stroked his cheek. "Now, how about you tell me what happened with Rhonda and Fran last night."

He laughed, "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

She grimaced, "Is it that shocking?"

"It's that hilarious." Then he proceeded to tell her what transpired last night. He even showed her the bruise on his chest from where Rhonda had poked him repeatedly.

At the point in the story where the they were trying to convince him they could help him impregnate her, C.J. covered her face with a pillow and said, "Oh, god!"

He laughed, "Oh, I'm not to that part of the story yet." He continued the story, and she refused to take the pillow off her face.

She was shaking with laughter and then said, "Oh, god! Oh, god! Oh, god!"

He guffawed and said, "Yeah, like that, but _louder_. They want to hear it alllll the way to Rhonda's room."

Suddenly there was a pounding on the door, and Rhonda's voice said, "What are you two doing in there?" Followed by giggling.

C.J. hollered, "OH, GOD!" Then laughed, still not taking her head out from under the pillow.

They heard laughter from the hallway, then Fran said, "Come on, open up! We're here to help the lil cowboy!"

Houston chortled, "I got it covered! The baby batter's almost delivered!"

"OH, MY GOD!" C.J. cried as she peeked from under the pillow just long enough to smack him.

Rhonda shouted, "Meet us downstairs when you're done. You're buying breakfast, cowboy." Then the sounds of retreating footsteps and giggling followed.

Houston shook his head, "Wow! I can't believe they're awake, that they remember anything that they said last night, and that they're not hungover. Those ladies know how to party." Then Houston used his index fingers and poked C.J.'s arm repeatedly, "Are you coming out from under there any time soon?"

She laughed then said, "No! And what is with these people wanting me pregnant?!"

He just laughed and moved up onto his hands and knees, "OK, I'm going to go get dressed…" He nudged her with the back of his hand while saying, "Unless you _want_ to load the clown in the cannon."

She grabbed the pillow and started swinging it at him. He hopped off the bed and ran to the bathroom, barely dodging the pillow she threw at him.

%%%%%%%%%

The following week was split between working on Sarah Harmon's case and preparing for Robert's trial. After flying C.J. back to LA, Houston went back up to Seattle. As Houston was unpacking his suitcase in his room at the suite, he found his sweatshirt folded neatly and placed among his things, which made him smile. When he stepped out of his room Roy was on the phone to C.J.

"He's what?" Roy shook his head, "Well, that should make it easy for the DA. OK, just let us know if BABY comes back with anything. Bye." They had sent her the best pictures they had so far of the mystery man to run through BABY, as well as the tapes for several months after Sarah had disappeared.

Will was looking on with curiosity, "Who did what?"

Roy sighed, "Robert has decided to represent himself at his trial."

Houston was surprised, "That doesn't make sense. Robert is a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them." His gut instinct was on high alert with this news.

Roy shrugged, "I guess after C.J. wrote him to let him know that she wouldn't be representing him, he decided _he_ would be his best option."

Houston narrowed his eyes, "I don't like it. He's up to something." The question was would he be able to figure it out before Robert could put whatever plan he had into action.

Roy nodded, "Yes, well, we'll find out next week at the trial." He looked at Will, "Are you going to be able to handle it up here on your own?"

Will tried not to be insulted, "Of course, I will keep looking for our mystery man prior to the disappearance while C.J. looks for him afterwards." He was actually enjoying the work, tedious though it could be. It felt to good to have a purpose, and not just be wandering aimlessly around the country.

Houston added, "It was nice of Mr. Mohorn to send the tapes to LA, for us to look through."

Roy half nodded, "Yes, it didn't hurt that a couple of dead presidents found their way into his pocket either."

Will ventured, "So how did it go in Santa Fe? We saw in the paper that Butz was sentenced to life."

Houston smiled, "It went very well. C.J.'s impact statement was honest and emotional and powerful. Just like we knew it would be."

"And did the two of you work everything out?" Roy could tell something good had happened, but wasn't sure exactly what.

"Yes, we did." The memory of making out with her brought a little smile to his face.

The smile did not escape Will, "Aannnd? What else happened? Did you tell her you love her?"

He regaled them with the Rhonda and Fran story, but left out the part about making out with C.J., and finished with, "I did whisper it to her when she was sleeping."

Roy shook his head and tossed up his hands, "What are you waiting for, son?"

He started mincing, "I don't know. I just want the timing to be right."

Will rolled his eyes, "You know she loves you, so any time will be the right time."

He rubbed his forehead with his thumb, "But what if she doesn't anymore. Not like that. We're just coming back from one of the worst fights we've ever had, I don't want to rush it and ruin it." Drunken make out session or no, she might not feel that for him when she's sober.

Will tossed up his hands and walked to the kitchenette. Roy rolled his eyes and groaned, "Fine. Let's get going. We've got a lot more tapes to look through."

%%%%%%

A week later at the trial, Robert had requested that the witnesses be excluded from the courtroom. This meant that Lt. Hoyt, Roy, Houston, C.J., and the other officers would have to wait outside the courtroom during the time the others were on the stand. This was not an unusual occurrence in a trial like this, but that, coupled with the fact that C.J. was set to go last at Robert's request, set off alarm bells in everyone. Houston was not happy about this, but there was little that could be done. His gut told him that Robert had something up his sleeve and he didn't like the idea of C.J. having to face him on her own without a friendly face in the gallery to look to while on the stand. The trial was expected to last for about a week.

Because Robert had worked at one of the local news stations, there were many camera crews in the courtroom. The DA had argued that Robert would use them to garner attention for himself, which could be a distraction from the case for the jury, but Judge Biancone allowed it. The jury selection had gone as well as could be expected, with Robert only making a couple of rejections from the jury pool.

On the first two days, Lt. Hoyt's and the other officers' testimonies went in typical fashion, with only a few questions and no objections from Robert for each of them. The whole courtroom seemed to be on edge waiting for Robert to do something, anything, that would fit his typical grandstanding self-absorbed manner, but nothing like that even remotely happened.

Roy's turn on the stand went surprisingly smooth, too. The DA asked questions about the sting he and Houston were a part of, why he thought Robert was the one behind the kidnappings, etc. When it came time for Robert to ask questions, he stood and said, "No questions, your honor."

Judge Biancone asked warily, "Are you sure you don't have any questions for this witness?" He was not a fan of people with no legal experience representing themselves during a high stakes trial like this one. They never knew procedure, what questions they could and couldn't ask… It was always a mess, and usually led to mistrials or hung juries.

Robert gave him a winning smile, "Yes, your honor."

"Perhaps you would like to confer with your co-counsel?" He could see the lawyer was trying to get Robert's attention, but Robert was shaking him off.

Robert reiterated, "No, your honor. No questions."

The judge looked at Roy and said, "Mr. Houston, you may step down."

Then it was Houston's turn. The DA asked him similar questions, and Robert was busy making notes on a legal pad, so never raised an objection. When the DA was finished, Judge Biancone asked if Robert had any questions for Houston. "Yes, a few, your honor." He looked at Houston, "How long have we known each other?"

The DA said, "Your honor, Mr. Houston has already answered that question."

The judge nodded, "Mr. Tyler, if you had been paying attention when Mr. Denault was asking questions, you would know that was answered already. I will not have you wasting the court's time with this." Robert looked slightly taken aback at being admonished, but the judge continued, "I suggest you ask Mr. Houston about something we don't already have the answer to."

Robert collected himself and said, "Yes, your honor. So sorry." Then he looked at Houston, "Do you love C.J. Parsons?"

Mr. Denault jumped in, "Objection your honor. Relevance?"

Robert smiled at him, "I'm trying to establish Mr. Houston's frame of mind when he decided that I was the guilty party."

"I'll allow it." Which he did mainly because he was happy to see Robert at least trying to defend himself. "Mr. Houston, answer the question."

Houston was honest, "Of course, I love C.J. We've been friends since we were 10 years old." There was a murmur through the gallery, that stopped quickly when the judge gave a stern look.

Robert turned to look at the cameras and smiled, "And is that why you thought I was the one who did these awful crimes?" He slowly turned back to Houston, as he was answering.

Houston shook his head, "No. I thought you did these awful crimes, because the evidence I found pointed to you. Even though I was hoping, for C.J.'s sake, it wouldn't."

Houston was preparing for Robert to ramp up the questioning when he said, "No further questions, your honor." Robert's co-counsel was frantically trying to speak with him, but he brushed him aside.

Judge Biancone was done trying to help Robert take advice from his co-counsel. He looked at Houston, "You may step down." After Houston left the courtroom, the judge said, "We'll take a twenty-minute recess."

As they waited, everyone agreed that Robert was up to something, but none of them could figure out what it was. Roy ventured again, "Maybe, he's going to go for an insanity plea."

Hoyt wondered, "Every bit of evidence points to it being him. If he's not going to ask questions, why didn't he just take the plea deal? It doesn't make sense."

C.J. let out a deep breath, "I'll guess we'll find out." She was doing her best to keep it together, and Houston rubbed her back as they stood there. There must be a lot of dust in the air, because she was feeling a tickle at the back of her throat, but she just sipped some water and tried to stay focused.

When court was reconvened, she was called to the stand. The DA asked her about everything that had happened, how she felt when Houston thought it was Robert, why she didn't accept Robert's marriage proposal, why she took part in the sting; all of the pertinent questions were asked and answered and Robert, again, didn't raise one objection.

Then it was Robert's turn to ask the questions. "Ms. Parson's why didn't you want to represent me during this trial?"

She was puzzled at this first question, "Because I knew you were guilty." She looked into his eyes, trying to get a read on him, but none came.

He sounded haughty, "So, it wasn't because Matlock Houston told you not to?" He turned to look at the cameras.

She shook her head, "No. I decided that before I even told him about your request." Her gut was screaming at her, but she breathed deeply to stay focused. Something was off, very off.

"He has great influence over you, doesn't he?" He had a smirk beginning to form on his face, then he turned to look at her as she answered.

She was trying to mentally stay one step ahead of him, "We've been friends for a long time…"

His head tilted, "Did he tell you not to accept my proposal of marriage?"

She shook her head, "No, he didn't. You know that." She couldn't figure out what he was thinking with these questions.

Robert suddenly got a wicked look on his face that made C.J.'s stomach sink before the question even came out of his mouth, "On our third date, did you suck my cock after dinner?"

C.J.'s face went flush and her eyes widened as the DA stood up quickly and yelled "Objection!"

Judge Biancone said loudly, "Sustained!"

Robert was relishing the horrified look on C.J.'s face, "On our fourth date, did you beg me to screw you on your dining room table?"

The DA could now see where this was going, "OBJECTION!" C.J.'s eyes were even wider and her mouth was agape; mortified that he would do this to her in such a public way. Reveal these things in open court, in front of her peers and the judge and the media that was there recording it all.

Judge Biancone could see where this line of questioning was headed too, "Sustained!" And he banged his gavel so loudly it made C.J. jump.

Robert was not deterred, and kept up at his questions in rapid fire succession, "When a man takes you from behind, do you prefer that _he_ rubs your clit? When a man goes down on you…"

The DA was now mortified for C.J. He shouted, "OBJECTION! YOUR HONOR!"

The judge was slamming the gavel down repeatedly if to do nothing else but drown out Robert's attack on C.J. "SUSTAINED! Mr. Tyler! Change your line of questioning immediately or I will have you removed from this courtroom!"

Robert wasn't finished, not by a long shot. She had rejected and betrayed him and it was time for her to pay, "Do you still have two dildos…"

"OBJECTION!" Mr. Denault was almost coming across the table at this point.

"SUSTAINED! Bailiff! Remove him from my courtroom! NOW!" He was furious that this little creep would treat any witness in his courtroom like this. He could see C.J. was frozen to the spot, trying to process everything, and he felt terrible for her.

It took three bailiffs to get him to even start moving towards the door. Robert kept up his assault of words, yelling out their sexual history, as they dragged him out of the courtroom and he could still be heard in the hallway.

C.J. just barely made out Judge Biancone telling her she could step down and saying something to the bailiff, because her heart was pounding so loudly in her ears. One of the bailiffs took her by the arm and led her to the back hallway, so she didn't have to go through the gallery to leave. She looked down at the floor and quickly made her way down the hall. The reporters figured out where she would exit and were following her, shoving microphones and cameras at her as she made a dash for her car. She wasn't sure how it happened, but the next thing she knew she was pulling into the parking garage at Houston Inc.

When the elevator doors opened, she walked right past Chris without saying a word. She went to her office, stopped, then went for the stairwell. She just wanted to flee everything; leave it all behind and start new somewhere in the world no one would know her. Maybe they would still want her in Sydney. After she took three steps down, she froze. Running away had never been her style, really. She's always faced her problems head on, but this time… She sat down and started crying.

Houston arrived 15 minutes later and looked for her in her office. He had already warned security downstairs, while he was driving to the office, not to let any reporters in the building and to watch the stairwells, too. They told him they saw her get in the elevator and it went to the penthouse. When he didn't see her in her office, he was walking back out to ask Chris if she'd seen C.J., he heard a muffled sob coming from the stairwell. He walked into her office grabbed a box of tissues, and then opened the door to the stairs slowly. She was sitting one step down from the top step, head down sobbing. He sat on the top step with a leg on either side of her; his feet on the step she was sitting on. He handed her the box of tissues and she took it. He didn't say anything to her or move to touch her. He waited for her to make the first move, because what Robert had done to her was a violation, and he wasn't going to add to that.

He had heard the commotion as Robert was being dragged back to the holding cells, and then one of the reporters came over and started asking him questions. When he didn't understand, the reporter told him what Robert had asked C.J. in court and he was furious. It was only Uncle Roy and Hoyt physically stopping him from going down to the holding cell that kept him from beating Robert within an inch of his life. Hoyt finally got through to him, "Cowboy! Go to your partner! She's gonna need you more than he needs a beat down right now."

After a few minutes she leaned over and put her head on his knee and wrapped her arm around his calf. He placed a hand on her head, and the other on her side, and applied firm pressure. He slowed his breathing down, taking deep breaths and slowly letting them out, he could feel that she was beginning to match his breathing, just like she had done for him in the hammock not so long ago.

The heat from his hands, and matching his measured breathing, slowly calmed her enough for her to say through her tears, "How am I supposed to go back to that courthouse? Face the judges and my peers?" Her thoughts were going everywhere all at once. She was angry and hurt, "No one cares about a man's sexual history, but a woman… He didn't bring up how many women you've slept with or your favorite positions…" Houston didn't even try to respond, but let her get it all off of her chest.

The memory of Robert's questions turned her stomach, "If he ever cared about me, how could he do that to me? Just because I wouldn't represent him?" Followed with, "Men want us to put out, but then we're sluts the minute we do… This is as bad as what Butz wanted to do. No, it's worse, because Robert had supposedly cared about me. That's it, I'm never having sex ever again."

She shivered, "It's SO humiliating, Houston." Then she fell silent, and wiped her nose with a tissue.

When he spoke, his voice was soft and unhurried, "I'm not going to say that I understand this, because I don't. I am furious at Robert. We knew he was up to something, but I never imagined he would do that to you. Ever."

He took a deep breath and remained calm for her sake, "You _know_ not all men think like that. I am so sorry this happened to you." He sighed, "As far as going back to the courthouse; you'll go back and face them because you've got nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. Everyone knows he was out of line. And you let the prosecutor do his job, so you didn't admit to any of those things anyway."

She sighed, "You sound like an attorney."

He stroked her arm a bit, "I know a great one, must've rubbed off. All of this will blow over in a couple of weeks, I promise."

She sat up and collected herself, shaking her head, "What's wrong with me?"

He pulled her back so her head was on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, "Nothing's wrong with you, darlin'."

She shook her head again, her mind had jumped topics again, "I just… I never thought I'd be this far along in my life and not at least have a husband. I mean… I should be on my 3rd or 4th by now."

He was trying to follow her train of thought, but instead just chuckled, "Nah, you take marriage seriously. That's why you take your relationships seriously. And that's a good thing."

She turned sideways and wrapped her arms around him as he rested his head on the top of hers. She let out a staggered sigh, "I'm so tired, Houston."

He kissed her on the head, "Why don't we take a long weekend? Come out to the ranch… Go for a swim, just sit by the pool and soak up some rays. Bo and Lamar are going to look at some horses this evening, we could go with them. What do you say?"

She pulled back and looked up at him, "It's only Thursday."

He winked, "I said it would be a long weekend."

She managed a little grin, "You won't tell the boss?"

"Not a word. Come on, let's go." They released each other and stood up.

She stopped, "What about the reporters? You know they'll go to the ranch when I don't show up at home."

He took her hand and lead her out of the stair well and to her office while saying, "Well, based on recommendations from Kai's friend, I have the whole ranch set up with a new security system, and that includes gates at the entrances that require a code to open. But you and I will take the chopper out, so we don't have to deal with any reporters if they're downstairs."

%%%%%%%%

At the ranch, after the helicopter landed, he looked at her and noticed that she was shivering. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, just tired is all." She said as she stepped out of the helicopter. She was sure that the tickle in her throat, which was now a sore throat, was from the dust in the courthouse and in the stairwell. She wasn't in the mood to be sick.

Bo and Lamar came over to greet them. Bo said, "Saw it on the news…" But stopped mid-sentence when he saw Houston shake his head. "Are you comin' with us to check out the horses? Now, I know yer gonna wanna pick out yer own, but the feller we talked ta said he's got some beauties."

She suddenly felt weak and shivered again, "Ummm, I think I'm going to just stay here this time." She wondered why her allergies would be so bad at this time of the year.

Lamar put a hand to her forehead, "Girl! Yer burnin' up! Ya better git in tha house and right to bed. We'll pick up some fresh squeezed orange juice for ya on our way home."

Houston made a beeline for her and put his hand on her head, too. "Boys, I'm going to trust your judgment on the horses." He put his arm around her waist, and guided her to the house, while saying over his shoulder, "I'm staying here to make sure she gets some rest." As they entered the living room, he said, "I'm going to get the thermometer. You go on up to your room."

"No, I'm OK. I'm not sick. I'm just tired." The leather sofa looked very inviting though. "I'll just sit on the couch for a few minutes." She sat down, her body shivering non-stop, "I think it's just my allergies. You should go with Bo and Lamar to see the horses."

He came back from the kitchen with the thermometer, shaking it to get the mercury to go down, "No, I'm staying here with you. Now, put this under your tongue"

She pushed his hand away, "Houston, I don't need that. It's just my allergies." She shivered again.

He nodded, "Uh, huh. So, you won't mind putting this under your tongue and we'll just see if it's 'allergies'." He brushed a strand of hair from her face.

She could tell she wasn't going to win this battle, and put it under her tongue. Meanwhile, he got a blanket from the closet and wrapped her up in it. When he took the thermometer out and read it, "102.5, that's not allergies."

She moved to stand up, "Then I should go home. I don't want to get you guys sick." She knew they all had things that needed done and there was no time for everyone to come down with whatever bug had bit her.

He pulled her back onto the couch, "You're staying here. The only choice you get to make is if you want to be on the couch or go up to your room."

She side-eyed him, "The couch." She pulled one of the throw pillows over and laid down, still shivering.

He adjusted the blanket so she was completely covered, then turned the TV on and put in a movie, so she wouldn't see any newscasts. "I'm going to call Uncle Roy and let him know where we are. Then I'm going to make you some soup."

She couldn't picture him chopping vegetables and chicken and following an actual recipe, "You're going to cook?"

He shrugged, "Well, I'm going to heat up a can of soup, so that counts as cooking, doesn't it?" She gave him a half-smile.

He kept an eye on her while he was making phone calls and heating up some chicken noodle soup for her. Uncle Roy said that he knew she was wearing herself down and not eating properly and that he would pick up where C.J. left off at the office with the tapes and the image search on BABY. Will was not back at the suite yet so he was probably still at the police station reviewing the tapes.

Chris gave him his and C.J.'s messages, most of them were from reporters, the others could wait. He asked Chris to call Carol and see if she would be willing to make a house call. He looked at the surveillance cameras and could see several reporters were starting to line up down the road. He didn't want C.J. to have to deal with that while she wasn't feeling well just to go to the doctor. He then called Hoyt to see if there was something he could do to get them to disperse, and he said he would try.

When he got off the phone, he saw that she had dozed off, so left the soup in the pan on low. Then the phone rang, and he moved to answer it quickly before it rang again and disturbed her.

After he was done with the call he went and sat on the end of the couch. He tried removing her shoes without waking her, but C.J. stirred, "Who was on the phone?"

He debated on telling her, "It was Mr. Denault. Robert took the plea deal. He'll be in jail for the rest of his life." He knew that would only be a small comfort to her after what happened.

She leaned up onto her elbow, puzzled, "He took the plea deal?" She let that sink in, "So he did all of that. The whole trial _just_ to humiliate me?" She was becoming upset again and she didn't want to spend any more time crying about what he had done, but it was just so damned awful.

Houston moved closer to her and helped her lie down again, "Close your eyes." He wiped her tear with his thumb. He could feel that she was even hotter than she had been the last time he took her temperature, but wanted her calm and resting more than he wanted an accurate temperature reading. Carol would deal with that when she arrived anyway.

She looked at him, "I just…"

"Shhhhh. Close your eyes." He gently stroked her hair until she fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Carol showed up a couple of hours after Chris called her. She brought one of her nurses, Ashley, a cute, young, blonde girl of 20. And she practically an entire office of medical supplies with her. She had heard on the news what happened and knew there was no way she was going to send C.J. to a hospital where reporters would be able to sneak in.

After greeting Houston, she went over to the couch and put her hand on the back of C.J.'s neck, "Hey, Sis." She was burning up.

C.J. opened her eyes with a start, because Carol's hand felt so cold in comparison to her fevered body. "Hey, Doc. What are you doing here? Is it time for dance class?" She tried to move, but Houston had cocooned her in the blanket pretty well.

Carol looked at Ashley, "Hand me the thermometer, please." Then she looked back at C.J., "Sorry, Sis, no dancing for you this week. You lay there quietly while I check you over." She put the digital thermometer in C.J.'s ear and waited for the beep.

Houston asked, "What is that contraption? It's not going to hurt her is it?" He was so concerned about C.J. that he didn't even think to ask what kind of dance class they were taking.

Carol smiled, noticing the change in how he looked at C.J. She could see that he was in love with her, and wondered when the two of them were finally going to admit that they more than "just friends, best friends". She'd been waiting for that day since C.J. first mentioned him while they were at college. When Carol finally met him a couple of years ago, they _were_ just friends, but the way he looked at her was different now. Now they just needed to admit to each other that they loved one another, and make it official.

She was thinking that while saying, "This is a fancy new type of thermometer that measures the body's temperature in the ear. It's more accurate than the mercury thermometers." The machine went 'beep' and she looked at it, "104.5, that's not good Sis." Carol then proceeded with the rest of the examination, including doing a throat swab.

C.J. managed to say with a scratchy voice, "My head hurts." She was hot and cold at the same time.

Carol pulled the blanket down a bit to free C.J.'s arm for the IV and C.J. started shivering, "That's because of the fever. I'm going to start you on an IV, antibiotics and something to bring your fever down. Your throat is very red so it may be strep, the IV antibiotics should knock it out quickly."

C.J. started to doze off again, but then remembered, "I have to watch Melissa's kids in a couple of weeks. Will I be better by then?"

Doc stroked her cheek, "Yeah, she told me you were going to take the munchkins for a few days for her. You should be better by then, but you have to rest and follow doctor's orders."

She said wearily, "Don't I always?" Which made Houston laugh.

Carol shot him a look, "You are the _last_ person who should scoff about not following doctor's orders." Houston looked down at the floor slightly abashed.

Once the IV was started, C.J. drifted back to sleep, and Carol pulled Houston to the kitchen. "What happened at the trial? They said on the news that he asked her personal questions, none of which they could repeat on television, the judge had him removed from the courtroom and then an hour later he had accepted the plea deal. It didn't make sense."

Houston then explained what happened, the questions that he asked and how it was all done just to get back at C.J. for not accepting his marriage proposal and not representing him in court.

Carol looked sad, "Aw, poor C.J. That's terrible." She and C.J. had bonded at Harvard during sorority rush. They had complementary skills, enjoyed quizzing each other in their fields of expertise, and hanging out together. Carol was always more on the wild side, while C.J. was always a bit more reserved. Especially when it came to men and dating, so that any man would do that to C.J. was beyond comprehension. "How did her impact statement go?"

Houston half smiled, "That went well. She did great, but I knew she would." He looked over at C.J., "She seemed fine yesterday morning. Uncle Roy has been concerned that she hasn't been eating well, if at all, and then all the stress on top of it."

Carol surmised, "Yeah, that's probably why this hit her so hard and fast."

"What's this about watching someone's kids?" He hadn't heard about this, but he wondered if that would impact her helping with the case. He really wanted to get this one finished. He was used to closing his cases quickly and this one seemed to be moving frustratingly slow.

"Oh, our friend's husband is being transferred to Chicago, so they have to go and find a house. C.J. promised to watch the kids for the week that they're gone. Isn't that sweet?" She couldn't wait for C.J. to have kids of her own. Even though C.J. wasn't sure if she would be a good mom, Carol had seen her with their friends' children and knew she would be great.

He looked over at C.J., "Yeah, it is." One of the many things he loved about her. Then he asked, "Is there anything I need to do for her?"

Knowing she was about to ask the impossible, "Get her to rest."

Houston shook his head, "Are you going to leave some horse tranquilizers? Because nothing short of that will keep her down for long."

Carol remembered the times at Harvard when C.J. would come down with something, but still be in the law library until all hours. It would usually end up with the whole sorority house having to practically pin her down in her room to get her to rest. And forget about getting her to the health clinic. Carol got to practice most of her doctor skills on C.J. "Oohh, she _is_ stubborn. But I guess that's why you two get along so well."

Houston went on the defensive, "She's more stubborn than I am."

She nodded and said in a slightly sarcastic manner, "Keep telling yourself that, cowboy." Before he could argue she said, "If it's alright, I'm going to have Ashley stay here overnight to give her a few more doses of antibiotics through the IV, then we'll switch her to the tablet form tomorrow afternoon. Being attached to the IV should slow her down a bit, but after that, it's up to you."

Just then C.J. shot up off the couch and the nurse had to make sure the IV stand didn't topple. Carol dashed over saying, "Where are you going, Sis?"

They could see in her eyes that she wasn't entirely sure where she was, she stammered, "I… I… have to… go to the bathroom."

"Okay, but take it slowly, please." She and Ashley escorted her to the guest bathroom down the hall. Carol returned and told Houston, "She said her room is upstairs, but I don't think she should go upstairs tonight; can she stay in one of the bedrooms down here?"

"Of course, whatever she needs." He wasn't going to leave her side until the fever was gone, so he offered, "I'll stay with her so Ashley can get some sleep, too."

Carol smiled, knowing he would do just that.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The next morning, just before 6, Ashley walked into the guest bedroom to see Houston sleeping in the bed wearing only his pajama bottoms, but C.J. wasn't there. She went to the bathroom and didn't find her there either. She knew if she had a man who was that gorgeous sleeping in bed with her she wouldn't get up and wander around. "Mr. Houston? Mr. Houston?" She said hesitantly.

Houston startled awake, "Yeah?" Then he looked to see that C.J. wasn't in the bed beside him. Her fever broke at about 2am, just after Ashley changed the IV bad and gave her another dose of antibiotics. "C.J.'s in the bathroom?"

"No, she's not." She walked out of the bedroom and started looking for her, "She couldn't have gone far with the IV pole." Before Carol left, they had helped C.J. get into her pajamas, but hid her shoes and slippers just in case she tried to "make a break for it" as Carol put it.

Houston looked in the kitchen, then said, "You go look out by the pool. Check the hammock that's over in the trees. I'll go out the other way." He had a feeling he knew where to find her, so after sliding on his flip flops, he jogged to the barn, calling her name, "C.J.! C.J.!"

He heard Lamar yell, "She's in here!"

When he got to the entrance, he saw her with her robe half on, her feet were bare, so much for hiding the shoes and slippers. She was holding the IV pole in one hand and petting one of the new horses with the other. He let out an exasperated sigh, "C.J., what are ya' doin'? Carol gave me strict orders to make sure you got your rest." She just shook her head a little, then looked at him in a way that told him he was not to tell her what to do.

Bo said, "Seems like she's lost her voice this mornin'." She nodded and continued to pet the horse.

Houston was dismayed at the boys, "And yet you didn't tell her she needs to be in bed? Even though she can't argue with you?"

Lamar raised his hands and shook his head, "Oooh, no. I've been married enough times to know, ya' can't tell a woman she has ta do anythin'."

"'Specially, ifin she don't want ta." Bo agreed.

"Voice or no voice." Lamar added.

Houston's exasperation was starting to show, "Let's go C.J." He motioned for her to come.

She looked at him, then moved on the next stall to see the next horse. After what happened yesterday with Robert, she was in no mood to be told what to do by any man, not even Houston. She felt much better, and she still had the IV in after all, so it wasn't like she was being totally non-compliant. That's what Carol would call her in college as the sorority sisters would have to practically hold her down to the bed to get her to rest when she was sick.

No one understood that she had to do, not just well, but better than the others. She had to do it to make her Daddy proud, and her Mom and Julia, too. And she couldn't let Bill Houston down; not after he funded her education at Harvard. She had to show all of them that she deserved to be there. She wasn't just some orphaned charity case; she was smart enough and she wasn't going to let anything, not even little ailments, stop her from her goal. But people often mistook her deep inner drive as stubbornness, and maybe it _was_ one and the same.

Bo saw that Houston had his dander up and had moved to get her when he stopped him and said softly, "Now listen, she's only been out here fer 10 minutes. Let her say 'howdy' to the last two horses, then she'll go inside." Bo had watched Houston grow from a boy to a man and he knew that he was as stubborn as a mule, just like C.J. And there is nothing worse than two mules fighting each other.

After she met the last horse, she walked out of the barn with Houston on her heels. He had to resist the urge to pick her up and carry her to the house, because he knew that wouldn't go over well. He also resisted giving her a lecture about not staying in bed and resting.

As they entered the house, Ashley spotted the pair and she looked relieved, "Okay, Ms. Parsons, it's time to change that IV bag and give you the last dose of the antibiotics through the IV. Where do you want to be for that?" Carol had warned her before the drive out here how stubborn her "sister" was and how to best handle her.

C.J. sighed and sat on the couch, while Houston told Ashley, "She appears to have lost her voice, not that it's stopped her from saying plenty." C.J. gave him 'the look', and he grinned, "See like that."

Ashley smiled, "Woo! Glad I'm not on the receiving end of that look." Then she replaced the bag and prepared the antibiotics, once it was all set, she checked the rest of her vitals, then said, "You still have a bit of a fever – 101.6, so let's not wander around outside again until tomorrow, huh?" C.J. just rolled her eyes. Ashley looked at Houston, "May I use your phone to call, Dr. LaMaster?"

"Of course." Then he left the room and came back a minute later with a pad of paper and pen in hand. He sat down next to C.J., "Are you hungry?"

He handed her the paper and pen, then read as she wrote, _"A little but my throat really hurts."_

He nodded sympathetically, "Yeah, I had noticed you wincing every time you swallowed. I have some yogurt; do you want to try that."

"_Sure. Thanks." _Was her reply.

Ashley came back into the room, "Dr. LaMaster said that it _is_ strep, so we're on the right track with the antibiotics."

C.J. nodded as she wrote,_ "Doc always knows her stuff." _

Ashley hesitated before she continued, "She also wanted me to tell you, and I'm only quoting her so don't kill the messenger, 'You need to keep your little fanny in the house; on the couch or in bed. Do NOT argue about it.' Then I'm supposed to give you this look…" She gave C.J. a stern face and shook her finger at her.

Houston laughed and C.J. just sighed and wrote, _"Fine." _Man, oh, man, did she hate being told what to do; even if it was for her own good.

After Ashley walked back to the kitchen to do her charting, he asked, "Why do you fight us so hard on these things?" She began writing furiously, and he said in a deadpan manner, "Boy, that is a _lot_ of big question marks after the word 'Me'." She started to write again, and he put his hand on hers, "Yeah, I know I don't follow doctor's orders either. Why don't we make a pact that from now on we'll follow whatever orders the doctors give us?"

This pissed her off, namely because she knew he would renege on this pact the second he was sick or injured,_ "Why do I have to go first? Why don't we start the next time you're sick or injured?" _

He had to think fast, "Well… You're my attorney, don't you think you should set a good example for me?"

"_No. You're the boss, so you should set the example for me." _She wrote then shot him a look.

He sighed, "I can see this conversation is a cul-de-sac. I'm going to get you your yogurt, so try and stay put." She gave him the side eye.

After he brought C.J. the yogurt, he lead Ashley back to the kitchen to talk with her, "How long will you be here today?"

Ashley had heard that Houston was a ladies man, so she wasn't sure where he was going with this. "Just until the IV is done; in a couple of hours. She starts the oral meds this afternoon. Why?" She was wondering if she would get to tell her mom that a rich, Texas oilman fell for her. Or at least took her out on a date.

"I need to get to the office, but I know her…" He looked over at her, and tried to think of a logical argument that she would accept as to why she shouldn't go with him.

Ashley could then tell by the way he was looking at C.J. that he was smitten with her, so no invitation for a date would be forthcoming. Darn. She shook her head, "She's a grown woman, I'm sure she'll follow doctor's orders for a little while."

Houston knew better, "Yeah, about as well as I would…" He was going to have to figure this out fast. "OK, don't worry about it." As he walked back over to the couch, C.J. was taking an obviously painful swallow while writing. When he sat down, she handed him the notepad, _"My throat hurts and I can't talk – My hearing is fine." _He caught the look she was giving him. "Good, then you'll stay here resting up, like a good little patient, while I run to the office."

"_I feel better than yesterday. I can help. I'll stay in my office." _She wrote.

He gave her a serious shake of the head, "No, mam. You may be feeling better than yesterday, but you're still sick. And if you won't think of your health, think of Uncle Roy. He's older and folks his age don't bounce back as quickly from these things." She was about to protest, so he put up his hand, "Uh! I know he was exposed you yesterday, but let's not risk it shall we?"

She hated that he was right about this. She hated that she was sick and couldn't do her job. She hated what happened in court yesterday. She hated being told what she could and couldn't do, because it brought up the fight in her. So, she sat there fiddling with the pen, trying to figure out what to say next.

He could feel her frustration mounting like the ocean before a storm hit, and felt bad about it, but what could he do? "I know you feel cornered, but this isn't a trap, C.J."

She considered his words carefully, _"It feels like it."_ She wrote in small letters, and couldn't bring herself to look at him.

He rubbed her hand, "I'm sorry that's how it feels, but it's really not. Now, when I go to the office and your IV is done, any decision you make is yours. You can stay here. You can go home. You can go shopping. You can do whatever you want, except come to the office. Alright?"

She nodded still fully frustrated with nowhere to direct her frustration, which usually led to tears, and she was not going to cry today. She had a thought and wrote, "Are the reporters still on the road?"

"Let's check." He flipped on the TV, then switched to the surveillance cameras. He zeroed in on the ones that captured the gates and the fence line along the road. "It looks like there are a few still there, but you might be able to elude them. Of course, we don't know how many might be parked outside your house, but I'm sure Hoyt can get them to disperse if we ask him to."

She gave a half-hearted shrug and looked out the window. These moods rarely hit her, but when they did... Even when she wasn't sick it took all her strength to pull herself out of them, but not being at full strength it was a major struggle.

He stood up, leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead, then said, "I gotta go. I'm not going to be long." She nodded, but he could tell she was still in her own head. He lifted her chin with his thumb and index finger, so she would look him in the eyes, "Maybe I'll see you later?" She shrugged. "OK, if you plan on going back to your house, have Ashley call the office, and we'll see what we can do about any reporters outside, alright." She nodded, then sighed. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb, then went out the door.

%%%%%%%%%

When Houston returned home that evening at twilight, he was happy to find C.J. napping on the couch. He had told her that he would be home shortly, but had really thought she was going to go back home after their conversation this morning. It looked like she must have taken a shower, and changed into clothes; jeans, a button-down shirt and some fuzzy socks. He didn't want to wake her so he stepped out and went to the barn to meet the new horses. Bo and Lamar were telling him how they did, and how the cattle were doing when they heard a piercing scream.

The all rushed out of the barn to see C.J. running from the house, as Kai had put it, like the devil was chasing her. Houston told the boys to go the other way around the house in case she might head that direction, then he took off after her. He was finding it difficult to keep up with her because he was wearing his boots, which were not really designed for sprinting, so he paused long enough to discard them, then ran after her again.

Fortunately for him, she had paused to hide behind a tree then started running back in his direction, but managed to skirt his grasp. She ran to the old corral and, using the leftover barn wood that was stacked there, scrambled to the roof of where they used to store the hay before the barn was built, and was at the edge, when he called to her, "C.J.!"

She paused, shook her head and jumped into the corral, fortunately, landing on several bales of hay then falling and rolling onto the ground. Before he could get there, she clambered through the fencing and was off running again.

He chased after her, running as fast as he could, but her marathon training and his sock-clad feet made her hard for him to keep up with on the rough terrain. He could see she was only seconds away from running headlong into the barbed wire suspension fencing, so he yelled again, "C.J. STOP!"

She lurched to a halt only steps from the fence, and if she continued to run, she was going to really hurt herself. Her voice was raspy, "Houston?"

He approached her and could see that she was dreaming and not seeing her true surroundings, "Yeah, honey, it's me. Where are you going?" He had always heard it was bad to wake someone who was sleep walking and didn't want to test any theories to the contrary when she was this close to injuring herself.

She managed to say, "Have to get away."

He took a tentative step toward her, "From who? Why?"

Her voice barely got out, "Duval. He's angry. Going to rape me."

He didn't have time to fully process what she said, he would do that later. "C.J. give me your hand, and we'll escape together."

She was looking around, "I don't see you." Even though her eyes were looking in his direction.

After a few more slow steps, "I'm here, darlin'. Put out your hand. I'll get you and we'll escape together."

She shook her head, and squeaked out,"It's a trick" Then she turned like she was going to run.

He was almost to her, "No! No, it's not. Please give me your hand." She had paused again, so he tried another tactic, "Let's go to the jeep. We have the grenades and the gas masks, and we set the timer on the bomb. We need to get to the airfield." She turned back to him as he spoke. "Vince has the plane waiting for us. Just give me your hand."

She began to raise her hand, but then turned with a jerk and ran right into the fence, and let out a cry of pain. She woke up and turned to see Houston, then she looked down at her clothes that were quickly turning red from all of the spots the barbs had dug into her skin. "What… Why…" But then it hit her what had happened and who it happened in front of.

He went to her and put an arm around her, his tone was soft, "Come on. Let's get you back to the house so I can see how bad those cuts are." He waved off Bo and Lamar as they approached the house. He knew she was embarrassed about this and didn't want to exacerbate it by having the boys make a fuss over her.

When they got in the house, he could see the wire caught her across one leg, her belly and her chest. He guided her to the room they had slept in last night and into the bathroom. He said gently, "Come on. Take your shirt and pants off while I go get the first aid kit." He went and grabbed that and then went to find the pad of paper, her pajamas and her robe. He decided he wasn't going to tell her that Kai had already told him about her night terrors. This happening made the conversation about them come about naturally and he was going to use that to his advantage.

He returned to see her dabbing at her wounds with one of the washcloths. He was going to have to focus on the task at hand and not how sexy she looked in her beige bra and panties. "Hop up on the counter." She did as he asked but wouldn't meet his eye. He set about getting the cotton balls and the antiseptic ready while saying, "That was some bad dream you were having." She nodded and bit her lip. "Is Duval chasing you the only bad dream you have?"

She winced as he applied the antiseptic, then shook her head. She decided to be honest with him, and wrote, _"No, sometimes it's Castanos or Butz or…"_ She let it trail off there.

He kept his tone casual, "I see… And how often do you find yourself outside?"

She quickly wrote,_ "__Not often."_ She knew he was going to use this as a way to move her out of the firm, but he had already seen her nightmares at their worst, so there was no going back now.

"But it does happen?" She nodded, so he asked, as he moved to the cuts on her tummy, "Does this happen every night?"

It took her a little longer to write because the antiseptic was really starting to sting_. "No, sometimes I go for months without it happening at all."_

"Does stress bring them on? The more intense your stress the more intense your dreams are?" She nodded, so he said, "I get that. It happens to me, too. Waking up in a cold sweat, feeling like you've run all the way to San Antonio and back. Struggling to get back to sleep, worried that it will just happen again the minute your eyes are closed." She nodded. He tried to inject a bit of humor, "Of course, I've never actually sprinted a 4-40 on a dirt road with mine." He grinned at her, but she could only manage a slight, split-second smile. He asked, "Does anything help keep them at bay?" He worked on the ones on her leg as she wrote.

"_When I have someone to cuddle with all night long. But that doesn't happen often." _She was looking down at her leg.

He lowered his head to meet her eyes, "Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped."

She lifted her head to look at him,_ "How?" _She wrote.

He offered, "I would have cuddled with you." She gave him a 'you've got to be kidding' look. He said sincerely, "No, I'm serious. We're friends. I would have gladly done that for you."

While he applied the bandages to her leg, she wrote,_ "Yeah, I'm sure your dates would have really appreciated that. 'This was a fun __evening__, but I have to go now and spoon my attorney so she won't have bad dreams.'"_

"I could have brought them with me." He waggled his eyebrows. She made a face and rolled her eyes, and was about to write something, when he jumped in, "Joking. I'm joking… sort of…" Then she smacked his arm lightly and smiled for the first time since the trial started. He smiled then said, "Okay, let me see your feet." He checked both of them, "How do you not have any cuts on your feet?" She just shrugged.

After her wounds were bandaged, he left the room so she could get her pj's on. She found him in the kitchen, making her scrambled eggs with cheese, that way she could eat something before she took her final dose of antibiotics for the night. Once she was settled on the couch, he went to shower and change. They watched a couple of programs, then she got up to go to bed.

She wrote him her '_goodnight and thanks_' then went and brushed her teeth in the guestroom bath. When she came out of the bathroom he was already laying in bed, with the covers pulled back on her side. She grabbed the notepad and wrote, _"What are you doing?"_

He shook his head, "I'm _not_ chasing you down again tonight. I'm going to be picking gravel out of my feet for the next week as it is. You're stuck with me." Then patted her side of the bed. She hesitated, so he said jovially, "Come on, let's go." She got under the covers, laid her head on the pillow facing away from him, and then he spooned her, placing one arm over her. He whispered, "Sweet dreams, C.J." and she nodded. They both slept very well all night long.


	13. Chapter 13

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Saturday morning, after changing the bandages from where the barbed wire cut her, C.J. went to the kitchen to find the coffee already made and waiting for her. Her voice was better, but still raspy as she said, "Good morning." She sat down on the chair closest to Houston.

Houston looked up from the paper and smiled at her, "Good morning, C.J. Your voice sounds better today."

She gave a little shrug as she sipped her coffee. She was waiting for him to tell her that he didn't want her involved in the PI firm anymore since the work was causing her to have such bad dreams. To get it over with, she thought she'd give him his opening, "Sorry about last night."

He seemed confused, "Sorry about what? I slept great." When he woke up this morning and he looked at her, he knew that she was the only one he wanted to wake up next to for the rest of his life. He'd prefer no pajamas on either of them, but they would get there.

She wasn't sure if he was toying with her, "No, I mean about having to chase me… How are your feet?"

"Oh, a little sore, but I'll survive. And about me having to chase you; I only wish you would have told me when the bad dreams first started happening. Especially if they made you run out of your house. You're lucky you were never hit by a car." He looked at her, hoping she could see he wasn't mad.

"I… I didn't want you to worry." She looked away and out the sliding glass door to the pool.

He knew she was holding something back. "What did you think I would do?"

She glanced at him quickly, "Not let me work with you anymore. Send me downstairs to work with Murray. Out of danger. To protect me." She sipped her coffee.

He considered that, "I might have thought about it, but I love working with you. We're a great team." The irony of him saying that, even though he was going to give up his business and not work with her anymore to appease Elizabeth, hit him.

She saw the look on his face and knew what he was thinking. She rubbed his arm, "We are." Then she got up and went to make some toast. "Do you want some toast?" She asked as she pulled the bread out of the bread box.

He nodded as he stood up, "Sure. I'll make some eggs. How do you want 'em?"

"Whatever you're in the mood for." As they both set about their tasks, she asked, "Did you get any hits on the guy's face? The picture was grainy, so I'm sure it will be difficult."

As he was whisking the eggs, he sighed heavily, "No. No hits yet. Will went over and showed the picture to the manager, but he said he hasn't seen him in a while." He looked over at her and couldn't help but think of the day they would be doing this as husband and wife.

She tapped her fingers on the counter, waiting for the toast to pop up. She was hoping they could catch a break, "Did he say if the guy paid in cash or charge?"

He handed her the plates, then went back to tending the eggs in the pan, "Always in cash, so no way of looking him up that way. It might not even be who we're looking for." She made a noise, that made him turn to look at her. She was paused in the middle of buttering the toast. "You OK?"

She was staring at the toast and said slowly, "He's the guy, Houston. Everything in my being is saying he's the guy." Then she looked at him and he nodded. She knew he understood, because he was always in tune with what his gut instincts told him, too.

A little bit later, while they were eating, Houston broached a different subject, "Carol said you were watching a friend's kids sometime soon?"

She smiled, "Yeah, they need to find a new home in Chicago, so I said I'd watch their three kids."

His eyebrows raised, "Three? Sounds like a handful."

She grinned, "It'll be interesting." She decided this could be the litmus test for whether she would be able to handle having children. Playing with them at bbq's and parties, and babysitting for a couple hours here and there was one thing, but doing the day to day job of taking care of kids was very different, and she was smart enough to know that.

He nodded in agreement, "How old?"

She looked up, trying to remember exactly how old they were, "Micah is 4, almost 5, Chase is 18 months and Penelope is 6 months."

Houston was a little shocked, "And you're watching them for a whole week?" That was like jumping into a fast-moving river in his estimation. You'll either survive or drown, with little in between area.

She told him the itinerary, "Yeah. From Tuesday the 25th until the following Tuesday. It won't be too bad. Micah will be at preschool half days except for Friday to Sunday. Their grandmother will take Micah and Penelope Saturday and Sunday, so I'll just have Chase on those days."

"Why are you keeping Chase on the weekend?" He wondered.

"He's the middle child and he's been having a hard time adjusting to sharing his parents' attention with Pen." Then she smiled big and said, "Besides, he's my BA-by."

He smiled back at her. He knew what she meant because he had that kind of bond with Vince's youngest Anthony. "Well, the kids will have fun at the office." Then took a bite of egg.

She shook her head and half laughed, "Oooh, nooo, I can't bring them into the office. I'm going to have to take that time off."

He was truly puzzled, "Why can't you bring them into the office?" It seemed like a fun place for kids. They could play in the spa, run around on the helipad, and practice playing pool in C.J.'s office.

She laughed, "Houston, that office is set up to be _your_ playground. It is _not_ safe for children."

"How do you mean?" He remembered being around Vince's kids when they were younger and couldn't see how it wouldn't be a cool place for kids to hang out.

"Micha and Penelope would be OK, but Chase already gets into _everything_." She decided to give him the heart stopping example that Melissa shared with her a month or so back, "He stair stepped the drawers in the kitchen to climb up to get a knife to cut his apple. Melissa almost had a heart attack when she saw him with the butcher knife walking down the hallway."

Houston's eyes got big, "Whoa!" If he had fallen holding a knife that big while climbing back down, that would have been horrible tragedy. It reminded him of the stories his dad would tell him about how much trouble he would get into when he was that age.

She nodded, "Yeah! So, the spa, the gym, the stairs to the gym, the elevator, the bar…" She shuddered, then continued, "He would be throwing things, like the pool balls, off the balcony, getting into files… It'd be like the Tasmanian Devil hit. I love that baby, but woo!" She shook her head at the thought of having to pull him off the rocks that lined the wall down to the gym.

He thought about it for a few minutes, "What if I had the office Chase-proofed?" She raised an eyebrow at him, then he said, "I really want to finish this case and I know we can't do it without you. What do you say?" He also thought it would have the added benefit of being ready for when they had their kids, not that he was going to mention that to her right now.

She considered his proposal, "IF you can Chase-proof it, then I will bring the kids to work with me. I'll see if Melissa can have Micha stay at school later, otherwise by the time I got to the office, I'd have to turn around to go pick him up." She was thinking she'd be more than willing to pay any extra cost for him to stay later. She learned very shortly after moving here from Texas, that LA traffic was not to be taken lightly. During rush hour drive times could double or even triple if there was an accident.

He extended his hand to her, "Deal?" She took his hand and shook it.

%%%%%%

They spent the rest of the weekend relaxing at the ranch. C.J. wanted to go into the office Saturday and Sunday, but Houston insisted that they just enjoy getting to know the horses. Saturday, they went riding, with Bo and Lamar, down to where the cattle were grazing and put the horses through their paces and moved the herd to the next field over. C.J. went back up to the house and made them lunch. After lunch, she was helping muck out the stalls when she got a little woozy, and the guys insisted she go inside and lay down. She chose the hammock instead and after a while Houston joined her, this time, much to his disappointment, she stayed on her own side of the hammock.

She asked him, "So did you make a date?"

He was thoroughly confused, "Make a date? For the Chase-proofing?"

She laughed and reached over and patted him, "No! With Ashley." She figured the buxom blonde would be right up his alley.

He searched his memory and couldn't come up with someone named Ashley, "Who's Ashley?"

She gave him a cajoling look, "You know! The nurse that was here _yesterday_. She's cute and seemed to be your type. I know I wasn't feeling well, but I could see she was giving you the goo-goo eyes."

He was never good at remembering names, especially of women he had no romantic interest in. It happened with the secretaries quite often and C.J. would have to remind him of their names. "Nooo, I told you I'm taking a break from dating."

She looked over at him, "I just figured, since it's been… What? Over month and a half now that you came back? That you'd be ready to get out there again." It wasn't like him to go this long without even a night out with some beautiful woman.

He sounded nonchalant, "Nah. I think this has been good for me, so I'm going to keep it going. What about you? Now that you've had a couple of days to think; are you still 'never having sex again'?"

She smiled remembering her proclamation, then said firmly, "Yes. I'm going to use BABY to find a nice convent to go live in. I look good in black."

"But you're not catholic." He reminded her.

She didn't see a problem with this, "And your point would beee?"

He shook his head, "I think it's a rule they have."

She conceded his point with a nod of her head, then said, "Well, I'm still never having sex again." She wasn't going to risk having a guy throw it in her face again in such a public way. And even though she knew that guys like Kai and Houston would never do such a thing; she wasn't going to chance it ever again as far as she was concerned… In this moment.

Houston sighed, "So, that's it then. I'm never dating again, you're never having sex again, so we'll start our own convent slash monastery right here."

She gestured broadly, "You mean right here on your property or right here on this hammock?" She asked for clarification's sake.

He thought about it, "On the property, but we'll have our morning devotionals and evening vespers right here on the hammock."

"Vespers, huh?" She always thought that it was a funny sounding word.

He said, "In a convent slash monastery you gotta have vespers."

She decided to go with it, "Okay. So, what will we name our convent slash monastery? Our Lady of the Perpetual Frustration?"

He laughed, "We'll have to think on it a bit more, but if nothing else comes to us, we'll use that one."

They chatted for a while longer, then decided to make dinner and put on a movie. They slept in their own rooms that night, but Houston heard her moving around, went out and found her on the walkway between their rooms. When he said her name, she asked "Is it over?" and he knew she was dreaming about when Castanos kidnapped her. He said softly, "Yeah, it's over." Then gently guided her to his room and got her to lay down with him, and she fell back to sleep. He was happy she was only startled for a moment when she woke up again a couple of minutes later, looked up at him, then around the room, realized she was in his bed, and then relaxed and fell back to sleep with her head on his chest.

By Sunday, the reporters had dispersed at both of their places, so she went home that evening. He could barely sleep, wondering if she was okay. When they saw each other at the office Monday morning, she admitted that she did have a bad dream, but had only awoken in her bed and not downstairs or outside.

He hesitated to leave her on Tuesday to go back up to Seattle, but Will had found a couple of good leads on their mystery man, and he needed to be there to interview the guy, if they found him, since Will was not a licensed PI in any state. He grinned when he walked into her office and saw his sweatshirt on the back of her office chair.

He jutted his chin in that direction and said, "That's my sweatshirt."

She looked back at it, turned and looked at him with a sly grin, "Is it?"

She loved playing this game with him. And besides, even with the stress of giving her own victim impact statement for Butz, and hearing the impact statements of the others, when she wore it at night, she didn't have bad dreams. Or at least none so bad they caused her to try to flee from her room.

He gave her a serious look, "You know it is." He loved playing this game with her.

She shook her head, giving him a look that made him want to walk over and kiss her, "I don't think so. Possession is nine tenths of the law, so…"

He kept his serious demeanor, "Whatever, counselor. I expect it back in my closet here or at the ranch by the time I return." He was hoping that the sweatshirt might keep her night terrors away while he was gone.

She crinkled her nose, "We'll see." She walked over to him and gave him a hug, "Have a safe trip, and let me know what you find."

He hugged her back, "I will." He gave her a tender kiss, then walked to the helicopter where Uncle Roy was already waiting for him.

%%%%%

The leads turned out to be very good, but they kept missing him by minutes every time they went to the next place. Then all of the leads dried up after three days. It was like he vanished off the face of the earth. They kept at it a few more days, then they all headed on home. Uncle Roy and Houston took the helicopter back to the office and Will was driving in since the chopper was only a two-seater. As Houston was landing, they could see that metal netting had been placed about five feet down from the railing, perpendicular to the building.

Houston was pleased, "That should keep just about anything Chase throws off the patio from falling on anyone's head." Roy nodded. He cut the engine, and they both disembarked, keeping their heads low because the blades were still spinning.

C.J. was waiting for them and hugged Roy first, "Welcome back." It had only been a week, but she missed the guys.

He smiled at her, "You look much better than the last time I saw you." She had gotten her perky smile back, and that made him happy.

"Thanks?" She was about to say something else when Houston gathered her up in a hug and she hugged him back, "Hiya, boss."

"Hiya, C.J." He had missed her something fierce and had told himself to play it cool, but when he saw her, he just couldn't. He released her and asked, "So, I see the netting is up. Are the rest of the safeguards up?"

"They certainly are." She beamed at him, took him by the hand, and pulled him into the office. There was a cover with locks over the spa, there was a vertically slatted railing that went across the rocks to where there was now a gate for the stairs that lead to the gym downstairs. It was about a foot from the rock wall so he shouldn't be able to get to it. There was another gate across the doorway for the bar area, all of the breakable items were put up out of reach. And he could see that the elevator had a special cover over the buttons, so small hands couldn't just push them whenever they wanted. He looked into her office and saw a crib set up by the wall next to the file cabinets.

He smiled, "So do you think it's Chase-proof?" He hoped so, but kids were always doing the unexpected.

She grimaced a little, "We won't know until he gets here tomorrow. Speaking of, Micah will be able to stay longer at preschool, so I won't have to leave to pick him up until 4:30. That should give me enough time to get there before 6."

"You could always use the helicopter, that'd be a thrill for him." Vince's kids loved their chopper rides.

"That's the other thing; Both Melissa and Mark were _adamant_ that the kids were NOT to ride in the helicopter. They were fine with the idea of taking them to the ranch to see the horses, but _no_ helicopter rides."

Houston was disappointed, "Aw! We're both good pilots."

She shook her head at his pouting face, "Sorry, cowboy. They said no, so it's no." She was not going to go against their wishes on this. Bedtimes and foods were all things that could be fudged a little, but this was a big one that needed to be respected.

%%%%%%%%%%

The next morning Houston, Will, and Roy were standing at Chris' desk checking messages and opening mail, when the elevator doors opened and C.J. walked out pushing the double stroller with Penelope in it, and Micah and Chase following behind her. A thought hit Houston so he smiled and said, "Good mornin', Mama Duck."

She smiled and then began the introductions, "Chris, Uncle Roy, Will, Houston this is Penelope…" who smiled big at the three of them and they smiled back. "And this is Chase and this is Micah" pointing to each one in turn.

Micah said, "Good morning." And put out his hand to shake their hands.

Roy noted, "Such a polite young man."

Houston smiled and said, "I thought you were supposed to be in school today."

Micah looked at C.J. then down at the floor. She explained, "Well, he was a little upset that he wouldn't get to come to the office for three _whole_ days, but the babies would."

Micah finished, "So Auntie C.J. said it would be OK. Is it?" His eyes were big and pleading.

Houston nodded, "Sure, it's fine." Then added with a slightly stern tone, "But you don't want to make a habit of skipping school."

Micah said earnestly, "I won't. I promise!"

At this point Chase was hiding his face in the back of the stroller, so C.J. said, "And Chase is being shy right now." She pulled him away from the stroller and picked him up, "Chase, can you say good morning?" He buried his face in her shoulder and grunted. "Apparently, no." She kissed the side of his head, then, pushing the stroller, walked through her office to the main room.

She was surprised to see Houston had bought a whole bunch of toys and games for the kids to play with and a playpen for Penelope. When Chase saw the toys, he scrambled down and went to explore them and Micah followed. She looked back at the poker table and saw a highchair and a two booster seats on two of the chairs.

Chris was right behind C.J. and asked, almost begging, "Can I hold the baby?"

She smiled and said, "Sure." She knew that ever since her sister Pam had her baby, Chris was itching to have one of her own. C.J. was counting on Chris' 'baby fever' to help divide up the workload of watching the kids. Especially because Chase was going to need all eyes on him. The phone rang and Chris carried Pen out to her desk to answer it.

After the kids were settled, Houston and C.J. sat at BABY working, while Uncle Roy and Will went to talk to one of his connections at The Company. At lunch time, the kids were seated at the table, and C.J. was feeding Pen her bottle. At one point, C.J. had to put the bottle down and lean forward to give Chase some more cheese, that's when Penelope tried to latch on through C.J.'s shirt. C.J. sat up fast and Pen cried. C.J. said in a sympathetic voice, "Sorry kid, nothing on tap here. Bottles only."

Houston was a tiny bit envious of Pen at that moment, but smirked and looked at C.J., "Used to nursing, is she?"

C.J. had placed the bottle back in Pen's mouth, then said, "Yes, and I'm not set up for that, so bottles it will have to be." She was trying to ignore the look he was giving her. It never ceased to amaze her that no matter how old men got, they were all basically middle-schoolers when it came to breasts.

Houston looked at her slyly, "You know I saw an article that said even women who've never been pregnant, their breasts can be stimulated into producing milk." He wiggled his eyebrows.

She shot him a look, "So can men's. What's your point?"

His grin did not diminish, "If you need any help in that department…" He thought, _"Or we could have fun tryin'."_

She rolled her eyes, "I'm good thanks. Besides her mom froze plenty of her milk before she left." She looked out the doors when she heard the elevator ding. A letter carrier went to Chris' desk, then went back to the elevator.

Chris walked up the steps, and handed an envelope to C.J., then asked hopefully, "Do you want me to finish giving her the bottle?"

"Sure, if you want to, then she'll need a diaper change before her nap." She said as she handed over the baby and the burp cloth. She opened the envelope and read the letter.

Houston could tell by the look on her face it wasn't good news. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, "Nothing's wrong per se, but Judge Biancone wants to see me in his chambers tomorrow at 11am."

"Does he say why?" He was hoping that she wouldn't have to hear any names from Robert's trial for a long time.

"No." She tried not to imagine the worst, but it came to her anyway. She was brought out of her deep thoughts by Chase yawning. She smiled at him, "Come on, baby, let's get a fresh diaper on you then you can take a nap."

Chase said, "No!" then yawned again and reached up for her to pick him up.

She picked the food off his clothes, then scooped him up to take him to her office, where a make shift changing table was set up on the pool table. Before she walked away, she looked at Micah, "You need to go to the bathroom, remember to wash your hands, then hop up on that couch over there…" She pointed to the couch closest to the piano, "It's quiet time. You don't have to sleep, but you do have to be quiet, so you can get a couple of books to read."

After C.J. rocked Chase to sleep, snuggled in his favorite blankies, and put him on the couch closest to her office where Penelope was sleeping in the crib, she and Houston sat down at BABY again. He said quietly, "You know you don't have to worry about the kids tomorrow. Uncle Roy, Will and I can watch them while you have your meeting with the judge."

"Are you sure? I know Micah will be at school tomorrow, but Chase…" She appreciated the offer, but anyone who wasn't wise to his ways would be caught off guard and trouble would ensue.

"I think the three of us can handle two small children." She smirked, so he added, "Don't forget, Uncle Roy raised Will and dealt with the Texas Terrors when we would visit each other."

Her tone was skeptical, "Okay, if you're sure." He nodded, then she said, "Alright let's see if BABY can make heads or tails out of when and where our mystery man was seen."

Later that afternoon, with minimal progress from BABY, C.J. loaded up the kids and was walking to the elevator, when Houston grinned and said, "See you tomorrow, Mama Duck." She just shook her head and smiled.

%%%%%%%%%

The next day, while C.J. was meeting with the judge, the three men had their hands full with Chase. At first, he was mad that C.J. left and cried for almost an hour; throwing punches at anyone who got near him, while he tried in vain to get the elevator doors open. When they finally got him calmed down and playing, they went to work on BABY focusing all of their attention on the data, only to notice a while later that Chase had pulled a chair over to the gate, climbed over it, then was scaling the rock wall that led to the gym. He had worked his way over to a point up by the ceiling where none of them were tall enough to just grab him.

Houston had to scale the wall himself when he heard a gasp. Without looking he said, "Chris we do NOT tell C.J. about this." He did not need this incident on his "record".

Chris' eyes were wide, "I'm not going to lie to her." She and C.J. were friends and this was something she'd want to know.

Will, who was standing on the stairs below Chase, ready to catch him if he fell, whispered, "Offer her a bonus."

Houston said, "I will give you a fifty-dollar bonus not to tell." As he was inching his way over to a laughing Chase.

Will whispered, "Really? Fifty? C.J.'s gonna tan your hide and it's only worth fifty?" He shook his head in disgust.

Roy, who was watching the proceedings, piped up, "He'll give you a thousand."

Chris thought about it for a split second then said, "Done." She walked away with a smile on her face thinking about what she would do with her bonus money. She felt a little bad, but a thousand dollars is a thousand dollars. She walked through C.J.'s office to be sure that Penelope was still napping, and she was.

After slowly climbing and almost losing his footing a couple of times, Houston was close enough to Chase to grab him around the waist, pull him off the wall and lower him to Will. This started another round of screaming and crying.

Will said, "Come on kid, you're mountaineering time is over." He walked the kicking and flailing boy up the stairs and over to the couch and got him his blankets, then set him on his feet. Chase took a wild swing, hit Will in the crotch which caused him to double over in pain.

Chase then scrambled up the stairs, over to and down the lobby steps, then pounded on the elevator doors screaming for C.J. They tried to placate him with toys and food, but nothing worked. Chris couldn't even answer the phone, because he was being so loud. Finally, he laid down with his tushie in the air, clutching his blankies, and fell asleep right in front of the elevator doors.

Roy grinned, "He figures that's where she left from, that's gotta be the way she's coming back. Poor little guy."

Will was dismayed, "Poor little guy? What about my poor little nuts?" He was holding an ice pack to his crotch.

He shook his head at Will, "You will survive that. You have to look at it from his perspective, his parents went god-knows-where, C.J. is his only constant, then she leaves. He doesn't understand that they will come back. He just feels abandoned." Then he had a thought, "Chris, can you make up a sign warning anyone getting off the elevator on this floor to look down before they try and step off?"

She nodded, "Sure, Mr. Houston, I'll do that now." She pulled out some paper and started writing.

Houston added while handing her a small roll of hundreds, "Take the stairs down one floor to put the sign up. I don't want to wake him up if we don't have to."

Roy and Will went back to BABY, and Houston sat on the steps keeping an eye on Chase. The elevator dinged and C.J., looking down, stepped gingerly over Chase.

She looked at Houston and could see he had a guilty look that was more than Chase just wanting to fall asleep in front of the elevator doors. She had also tried to call the office a couple of times before leaving the courthouse, and since no one answered, she figured they were dealing with something Chase had done. She asked in a straight-faced manner, "What happened?" As she walked over to where Houston was sitting.

Houston went for a nonchalant partial truth approach, "He was mad that you left. We calmed him down for a while, but then he started crying for you again and that's where he fell asleep." He looked back over his shoulder for Roy and Will to confirm his story but neither of them turned around. _"Cowards"_ he thought.

She knew there was more to the story and decided she was going to get the other two's side of it. She walked up the stairs and over next to BABY, so that she was standing in front of Roy and Will, with her hands on her hips. They had the same guilty looks on their faces. "What happened? And don't lie."

Roy tried, "We just found out that he _is_ a spirited little boy, just like you told us he was." By this time Houston was standing between the spa and the couches, so Roy looked up to him for confirmation. Houston nodded his head.

She set her jaw, "I believe _that_ part of the story, but the scrapes on Houston's boots and fingers, and the ice pack on Will's crotch tells me something different. What happened?"

Will looked at her stunned, "Wow, you've learned a lot working with a PI. Attention to detail…"

"She could work for The Company." Roy added.

She was losing patience, and asked through gritted teeth, "What happened?" The guys just looked at each other, but said, nothing. She called out, "Chris!" Chris came over to the lobby steps quickly as she didn't want Chase to wake up again. She looked her dead in the eyes, "What happened?" Chris just shrugged meekly. Then she looked back at Houston, she was pissed and he knew it, "Matlock William Houston, you tell me what happened right now, or I will take the kids home and see you next Wednesday."

Houston acquiesced, "Okay. He did get upset that you left, that's true…" He really didn't want to say the next part, but she was staring daggers at him, "But we got him to calm down and play with the toys, and then…" He said the next part really fast, "While we were focused on BABY, he used one of the chairs to get over the gate and then climbed the wall so that I had to go climbing over to get him."

He could see she was revving up to an 'I told you so' speech, so he continued, "I'm… We're sorry. You were right, he's a handful. We just didn't think that a baby could be so sneaky."

She was about to lay into them when Chase started crying. She went quickly to him and picked him up. She wrapped his blankies around him then walked to her office not going back past the guys.

Will said quietly, "Well, that wasn't _so_ bad."

Roy patted his leg, "Son, she a woman and she ain't done yet. This is just a little reprieve." He remembered the times he and Flo would get into it over various things, but nothing got her riled up as much as when it had to do with Will. He then looked at Houston, and said, "She's got those fine 'mama bear' instincts. You can't buy those." Houston nodded.

%%%%%%%%

The next day, C.J. was in a better mood than when she left to go pick up Micah the day before. She hadn't said much when she left, which made the guys a little nervous. Even Houston calling her "Mama Duck" didn't elicit a smile.

Will and Roy found a reason not to be in the office the next morning, leaving Houston to bear the brunt of whatever was left over from yesterday. On the phone, when Houston called them "Yellow bellied lizards", Roy said, "Yup" and Will said, "I can live with that."

C.J. came in, and after she got Chase and Penelope set up with activities, she sat down at BABY and began working.

Houston walked over and handed her a cup of coffee and decided to go with a safe topic, "So what did the judge want?"

She took the coffee, "Thank you." Then let out a big sigh, "He wanted to apologize for what happened in his courtroom. He felt bad that it got that out of hand and that quickly. I told him he had no way of knowing that Robert was going to do that." Houston nodded and she continued, "Then he asked me about the victim impact statements. We talked about how it does give the victims some sense of closure to be able to speak to the perpetrator as well as the court."

He started, "C.J. about yesterday…"

But she put her fingers to his lips softly, and shook her head, "Don't. I forgot how much single guys don't understand about toddlers. You're used to Vince's kids and by the time you met them they were out of his phase. So, let's just move on." Chase was watching them carefully.

He nodded and gave her fingers a quick kiss before she moved them away. "Now all we have to do is figure out where our mystery man disappeared to."

Just then Chase came over, climbed up into C.J.'s lap, narrowed his eyes at Houston, and pushed him away saying, "Mine." Houston looked mildly shocked then bemused.

She giggled and said, "Now Chase, you have to share Auntie C.J."

Houston leaned into her, put his arm around her, and gave Chase a narrow-eyed look back and said, "Mine." C.J. rolled her eyes.

Once again, Chase shoved Houston and said sternly, "No. Mine!"

Houston grinned and said, "No. Mine."

Chase squealed angrily, and shoved Houston again, "NO! MINE!"

She decided to end their childish back and forth, and stopped it by quickly saying, "Chase why don't you go build the blocks up, up, up, then knock them down?" He gave Houston one last glower, then clamored down off of her lap and went over to the blocks. C.J. started typing into to BABY, "You know I was thinking. The last place anyone saw him was in Sultan, right?"

"Yeah, that's when he seemed to disappear off the face of the earth." It ate at Houston that they were so close to getting to talk to him, when the guy vanished. And the townsfolk said they didn't know his name, but Roy thought that they just weren't talking. It was like that in small towns when strangers came in asking a lot of questions.

"What if he went into an abandoned mine?" She hit a few keys that pulled up a map showing the mines, "There are abandoned mineral mines along that area."

He nodded, "I think you're onto something, C.J." He pointed at the map, "It would be real easy for a guy like him to hang out in an abandoned mine, and only come to town to get supplies every few months."

A thought occurred to her, "What if he didn't kill her? What if he was just smitten with her and is holding her in one of the mines?"

He considered it, "That might make sense, but I don't want to get our hopes up." They both sighed, "Okay, C.J. you figure out how we can go about getting into these mines." He stood up and walked over the back of the couch and headed towards the door, "I'm going to track down Uncle Roy and Will and get some hiking gear together, because they look like they're off the beaten path."

She nodded, "Okay, I'll do that." Then she started typing into BABY.

He stopped and said, "Oh, and good job Ms. Parsons. You're as slick as ever." She turned and smiled at him, then he called out, "Hey, Chase." Chase looked at him and he grinned and said, "Mine." Then he was over to the elevator and gone.


	14. Chapter 14

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Later that afternoon, Houston returned from looking at hiking gear with Will and Roy. They had bags full of gear that they were bringing in and setting in the lobby, then Roy and Will went back down to the truck to get the rest of the stuff. They were going to need to sort it all out before they packed it up.

Houston walked over to the couches to see C.J. sitting cross-legged on the long sofa by the end table. She had Chase sitting on her left leg, facing her, wrapped in his blanket, fast asleep with is head on her chest. Her left arm was wrapped around him, and she was holding Penelope's bottle in that hand. Penelope was cradled in the crook of C.J.'s right leg, drinking her bottle contentedly. C.J. was cradling the phone to her right ear, while she used the end table to rest the notepad she was writing on.

It struck him how suddenly his idea of sexy had reworked to include a woman lovingly taking care of children, while conducting business on the phone. When he was getting ready to go off to college, his Daddy had told him, _"Son, one day you'll realize that being a man doesn't mean bedding as many beautiful, big busted women as you can. That's what any _male_ can do. Being a man means wanting to be with the right woman; someone __who shares your values, someone who's smart, someone who ma__k__es you laugh, someone __you can build a life with…"_ He knew his Daddy would be proud that he finally figured it out. As he stood there remembering it, it occurred to him that his Daddy wasn't speaking in generalizations. He had been talking about C.J. He decided he'd think about that later.

Houston walked over and whispered, "Can I help?" He started moving to take Chase off of her lap.

She shook her head, then said to the person on the phone, "Hold on a minute." Then she looked at Houston and said softly, "Take Pen, Chase just fell asleep and if we move him that'll be it for nap time."

As he leaned over to pick up the baby, C.J. deftly put the burp cloth on his shoulder. He walked up to the bar and sat on the bar stool and finished feeding Penelope her bottle, smiling and chatting quietly to her, "Is this a good bottle? Yes? Just wait 'til you get teeth. Uncle Houston will make you a niiice juicy steak. Yes." She smiled and batted her eyes at him. When she finished her bottle, he adjusted the burp cloth on his shoulder and walked her out to the helipad bouncing her and patting her back as he walked and telling her all about the helicopter. After he got a few good burps out of her, he then went to change her diaper.

After that was done, he went and again sat on one of the bar stools with her, rocking her trying to get her to go to sleep. But she was too busy cooing and babbling at him to want to sleep.

Uncle Roy came in and surveyed the scene. He walked over to Houston, and said with a smile, "Looks good on you…" Then jutting his chin in C.J.'s direction, "and her."

Houston grinned, "Yeah." Then whispered, "If this has shown me anything, it's shown me I really want to make babies with her."

Roy smirked, "Son, just don't do it while I'm standing here."

Houston grinned, "I can't promise anything."

Shortly after that C.J. hung up the phone, then, after giving Chase multiple, tiny kisses on his head, slowly stood up, and took him over to "his" sofa, and laid him down to finish his nap. She walked over to Houston and Roy, "Where's Will?"

Roy replied, "He went to go grab us some lunch from that new Mexican Restaurant down the road."

Houston, looking down at Penelope, said, "This little lady doesn't seem to want to fall asleep."

She smiled, "No?" She put her hands out to take Pen, "Come on princess." Then she faced Penelope so that she was looking at Houston and Roy, then started to lightly run her fingers over the baby's head and down her face, in smooth, repetitive strokes and within 60 seconds Pen was asleep. She then turned and walked the baby into her office to put her in the crib.

Roy and Houston were stunned. When she returned, stopping to pick up the note pad on the way back over to them, they were both just staring at her. "What?" She asked looking down at her shirt to see if she had any schmutz on her.

Roy said, "Young lady, you have some hidden talents. I've never seen that done before." Houston nodded.

She winked at them while saying, "I have _so_ many hidden talents." Then she consulted her note pad, "Well, there are a _lot_ of abandoned mines in the region. They're going to send me maps of the area, which should arrive by sometime tomorrow via courier. Then we can figure out which ones he might be using."

Roy pondered a moment, "I always thought they sealed off abandoned mines."

She nodded, "I asked about that, but they don't do anything dramatic like blow up the entrance to cave it in. It's more like they put up some boards with 'no trespassing' and 'caution' signs and that's about it." She continued, "And since most of them are off the beaten path, the sheriff or park rangers don't check on them often, if at all."

Houston started pacing, "How many mines are there near Sultan?" He didn't want to wait a couple of days to start back to find this guy. If C.J.'s suggestion was right, and Sarah was alive, they needed to find her sooner than later. Over a year in captivity would be devastatingly traumatic. He still had nightmares from when he had been kidnapped as a child, and he knew that Kathy, Lt. Hoyt's daughter, was still undergoing therapy because of her kidnapping.

She counted up the names she was given, "There are thirty-one in that county alone. It was part of the Gold Rush, so people were staking lots of claims all over the area." She watched him pace, and she knew he wasn't going to want to wait even until after lunch, "I really think we're going to need the maps in order to narrow it down."

The elevator door dinged, and Will stepped out loaded down with bags. After he got to the top of the steps he said loudly, "WHOOO wants MEXICAN?!" Both Chase and Penelope started crying, then he looked chagrined and said softly, "Sorry."

C.J. shot him a look as she went over to rub Chase's back, hoping to get him to sleep again. Chris went into C.J.'s office and did the same for Penelope. And while Penelope was able to fall back to sleep, Chase was not, and he was cranky about it. The massage technique that worked on Penelope earlier, did not work on Chase.

Chase spent almost thirty minutes being a Tolstoy novel. He didn't want up. He didn't want down. He didn't want to play. He didn't want to _not_ play. He wanted to sit in his booster seat at the table while the adults ate. He didn't want to sit in his booster seat at the table while the adults ate. He wanted to eat. He didn't want to eat. He wanted everything. He wanted nothing.

C.J. finally got him to settle on her lap while she ate, and Will asked with a smile, "So are you ready to have kids yet?"

She looked at him warily, "At this moment? No. At other moments? Yes." She wasn't going to tell him she was never going to have sex again. Will didn't need that kind of fodder for teasing her.

Will nodded, "Sounds like a solid 'maybe' to me." Then he looked at Houston, "What about you?"

"I'm ready." He said confidently. He knew it wasn't an easy job, but he really wanted a family with C.J.

Will said, "I'm not talking about making them; I'm talking about raising them."

He smiled, "Yeah, I'm ready." Although, he was really looking forward to the first part with her.

Will knew what he was about to say would get both of them going, but he thought they were both taking too long in this process. So he fired off rapidly, "Great. Now you just have to catch C.J. during one of her 'other moments', finally tell her you love her, and you'll be all set."

C.J. blinked slowly, considering what Will had just said. Did she hear that right? Did Will know something that she didn't? Or was this just one of his attempts to embarrass her? She could only manage, "I'm sorry, what?"

He ignored her and addressed a stunned Houston, "Don't get me wrong, Cuz, you're going to have to set the mood…" Houston was frozen in place and staring daggers at him, because _this_ was _not_ the time for him to proclaim his love for C.J.

C.J. didn't notice because she was still processing what Will had said. For Houston to _finally_ tell her he loved her would mean that he did… But he didn't, did he? No. No. Will had said Houston told him that they were "just friends". So she repeated her question, "I'm sorry, what?"

Will continued, ignoring her question, "C.J. deserves a nice dinner, wine, candles, light jazz, before you bow-chicka-bow-wow." He said the last part with a little dance move.

"I'm sorry, _what_?" She said again a little more loudly.

Chase, sensing the odd tension, repeated with enthusiasm, "Saw-we, wha?" Everyone laughed.

Will looked at Chase, "You see, Chase, when a man loves a woman very much, they do a special embrace…"

C.J. let out a disgusted sigh, "That'll be all, Uncle Will." Then she stood up and walked Chase back over to the toys, and set him down; completely missing Houston slugging Will in the shoulder and Uncle Roy shaking his head.

%%%%%%%

The next morning C.J. was dragging a little. Yesterday, Chase fell asleep on the ride to pick up Micah, then didn't want to go to bed at the usual time. He finally fell asleep at 1am after the umpteenth time of watching the Pinocchio VHS tape, and wasn't happy to be awoken to go to the office at 6am, so she could be sure to be there in case the maps arrived early.

She was just happy she could fit the kids and all their paraphernalia in her convertible. The babies in the back in their car seats, newly required because of the 1985 California state law, along with the double stroller, diaper bags, and toys. Of course, Micah called shotgun, which meant that she didn't have to drive Melissa's Plymouth Voyager. Melissa called it a "minivan", but C.J. was not a fan of the way it looked. She would have gone with a regular old station wagon or a Volkswagen Microbus, before that ugly thing. She only had to promise to make sure that Micah wore his seat belt and that was easy enough. He was such a big help that he would even scramble over the seat to help Penelope put her pacifier back in or pick up something Chase had dropped. She kept the top up and the windows closed because she didn't want Chase throwing things out onto the highway.

Traffic was crazy, so when she finally wheeled the stroller into the lobby it was already 9:30. She said her "good mornings" to Chris, and was getting everyone settled when they heard the helicopter arriving. C.J. had to hold Chase so he wouldn't go running underneath it.

Houston cut the engine, and hopped out to see a beaming Micah, and Chase squirming to get out of C.J.'s arms. When the blades finally slowed down enough, C.J. gave the kids the okay to go over. He gave them an enthusiastic, "Good morning, Micah and Chase!" Then he looked at C.J., "Good morning, Mama Duck." She shook her head and smiled.

Micah was jumping up and down, "Uncle Houston, Uncle Houston, can we go for a ride?"

C.J. spoke up, "No, Micah, sorry. Your parents said no helicopter rides."

"AW! Why not?!" Micah was suddenly mad.

C.J. kept an even tone, "The why isn't important. That was what they asked me to do to keep you safe, and that is what I will do."

"But!" He stomped his foot, then turned and put on his best innocent, pleading face, "Uncle Houston?"

Houston was about to say _"Well, why not?"_, but he saw the look C.J. was giving him and said, "Sorry, partner. Maybe some other time."

Before he could get really worked up C.J. said, "Why don't you go and draw a picture of you in the helicopter?"

Micah sighed, "Oh-kay." Then plodded off to sit at the poker table.

Meanwhile, Chase was busy trying to figure out how to get the cockpit door open, but he was, fortunately, too short to do it. They both called him, but he refused to come to them, so Houston walked over to C.J., put his arms around her, then said, "Hey, Chase!" When Chase looked, he said, "Mine." Then he gave her a kiss, which caught her off guard a little, but she went with it.

That did it. Chase ran over and inserted himself between them and shoved Houston, saying "No! MINE!" Then he turned and put his arms up for C.J. to pick him up, which she did. As she turned to carry him back inside he scowled at Houston over her shoulder.

After an hour, the courier arrived and they got to work eliminating mines from the list that probably wouldn't be able to be used in the way they were thinking it was being used. These were the ones that were easily accessible or had many newspaper or magazine articles written on them. If he was living in it, then he wouldn't want the casual hiker to run across it.

Uncle Roy and Will went to check with a local cave/mine explorer to get suggestions on how to best keep themselves safe while exploring the mines. When they came back, they were able to better prioritize their list. They all agreed that they would need to keep what they were doing low profile, because they didn't want the locals to possibly tip the guy off before they got a chance to talk to him.

Lt. Hoyt rode up the elevator with the guy who was delivering their lunch, "So what are you feeding your favorite LAPD Lieutenant today?" He hadn't seen them since the trial, and was wondering what they were up to.

Everyone said some version of "Hey, Hoyt!"

Then he looked over at the table and saw the kids, "I know you trouble-making PIs start young, but I didn't think you started them _that_ young."

After C.J. explained why the kids were there and introduced them; the guys decided to eat on the patio, while C.J. and Chris fed the kids at the poker table. The guys told Hoyt, without too much detail, how their Seattle case was going as they all enjoyed some Thai food. After the babies were asleep, and Micah was on the couch with a book, C.J. went downstairs to throw in a load of laundry that she didn't get done the night before. This was only day four and the amount of clothes these kids went through was eye opening for her.

Right after she started the washer, she heard the unmistakable sound of the helicopter rotors starting up right above her head. She said to herself, as she rapidly made her way up the stairs, "Oh, no he's not."

She opened then closed behind her the patio door, the one over by the patio table, and saw Houston and Micah in the helicopter, the landing skids were about three feet off the helipad. She was livid. She gave Houston the "Put it down" gesture, and her facial expression let him know she meant business.

Houston saw her, then set the chopper back on the helipad, saying to Micah, "Uh, oh, Micah, we're busted." He turned the engine off and said, "Sorry partner, no ride this time."

Micah had never seen the incensed look on his Auntie C.J.'s face before and it made him nervous. "Are we in big trouble?"

"Yeah, kid we are, but don't you worry. Auntie C.J. never stays mad at me for longer than a minute." He was sure that he could smooth talk his way out of this one.

The guys were sitting at the table with rapt attention. Will was amused by the scene, but Uncle Roy and Hoyt, both having been married a long time, knew that C.J. was probably going to kill Houston if he got within arm's length of her. Especially since making him sleep on the couch and withholding sex were not options for her.

Uncle Roy said under his breath, "I _told_ him she has mama bear instincts."

Hoyt said softly out of the side of his mouth, "Oh, yeah, and his over confidence at thinking he can charm his way out of this is about to bite him in the butt."

After they disembarked from the helicopter, C.J. was pointing to the spot on the patio directly in front of her and they both walked over and stood there. She put her hands on her hips and looked at Micah, "Micah…" Houston tried to interrupt her, but she pointed at him, she shot him a look and said in a deadly serious tone, "I'll get to you in a minute." Then her hand went back to her hip, she looked back at the boy, and asked in a slightly shaky voice, "Micah, what is my job?"

Micah knew he was in trouble by the tone of her voice. And he had promised his parents he wouldn't get into _any_ trouble. Now he was in big trouble and they were going to be _so_ mad at him when they found out. So, tearing up, he said, "To keep me safe."

She nodded, took a calming breath, then asked him the next question, "And what is your job?"

A tear rolled down his cheek, "To help you keep me safe."

To make sure that they were clear, she asked, "And what did I tell you was the _one_ thing your parents didn't want you to do while they were gone and I was watching you?"

He decided to answer and plead his case, "Ride in the helicopter, but Uncle Houston's a good pilot…"

She shook her head, "Not the point. I'm a good pilot, too…"

He was astonished, "You can fly the helicopter?" He wished he would have known this before now.

As a lawyer, who was trained by F. Lee Bailey, she was not going to be distracted by a tangent, "Again, not the point. Your parents said _no_ helicopter rides, so that's the end of it. Now, I want you to go stand over there and think about what you did." She looked at her watch, "Go." He walked over to the opposite corner of the patio where she had pointed to, and stood facing the corner, crying quietly.

Now it was Houston's turn, and she asked him the same question, "What is my job?"

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and said flatly, "To keep the kids safe."

She continued with her next question, so that Micah would know that the rules applied to Houston, too. "And what is your job?"

He rocked on his heels and sighed, "To help you keep them safe." He wasn't appreciating being treated like a child.

She cocked her head, "And what did I tell you was the _one_ thing their parents didn't want us to do?"

He admitted, "Take them in the helicopter, but C.J…"

She shook her head, "The rule is one minute per age." She looked at her watch, "You've got 31 minutes. Go." And she pointed to the corner across from the patio table, opposite of Micah's corner.

He started, "But C.J…" He was not going to stand in a corner.

She raised her eyebrows, "You want me to double it?"

He became a little indignant, "I'm a _grown _man…"

She stepped up to him quickly, narrowed her eyes and challenged, "Come at me and see what happens."

They guys had been watching the entire exchange holding their collective breaths, and at this point Will couldn't stop himself, "WoOOoo."

Her head snapped in their direction, and she practically growled, "Michael, Uncle Roy, Will, go amuse yourselves in the weight room. Now!" They all looked legitimately scared, jumped up and headed for the door. She warned, "And don't you wake up those babies either." Then she turned and looked back at Houston.

Houston was, for the first time since he met her, actually scared of her, so said nothing. And it was at this point he realized he was a grown man about to spend 31 minutes in time out. As he walked to his corner, she added, "And there's to be _no_ talking." Then she went inside to be sure the other "children" were doing what they were told.

She came back out shortly before Micah's time was up, but left the patio doors open. She sat on one of the chairs with her back to Houston. When Micah's time was up, she called him over, "Now, I want you to go hop up on the couch, because it's rest time."

He still had tears rolling down his cheeks, "Are you going to tell Mommy and Daddy?"

She shook her head and wiped his tears away with her thumbs, "No, I think we've handled it here, today. So, I don't see a need to tell them. Okay?"

He nodded, then asked, his bottom lip quivering, "Do you still love me?"

That got her right in the heart. She gave him a kiss and a big hug, then pulled him back so she could look him in the eyes, "I will _always_ love you…" Then she lightly held his ears and wiggled his head a bit, "Even when you don't use your listening ears. Okay?" He smiled a little and nodded, then, after one more hug, she said, "Go hop up on the couch." Then she went inside to work in her office.

When Houston's time was up, she came back out, and said, "Houston, you're free to go."

Then she turned to go back inside, but he said in a plaintive tone, "What? No hug and kiss for me?"

Knowing that Micah was watching, she turned around, walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss and a hug, then looked at him, "And before you ask, yes, I will always love you…" She took his ears in her hands, "Even when you don't use your listening ears." She shook her head and smiled at the goofy look he gave her.

She turned and walked away from him, and he followed her inside, then went downstairs to see the guys sitting on the different weight benches for his gym equipment. They were all grinning ear to ear, and trying not to laugh too loudly, lest they wake up the babies and incur C.J.'s wrath.

Uncle Roy walked over to him and said in a low voice, "Son, do you still want to make babies with her?"

Houston smiled and whispered, "Yes, I do. Because she will protect them. Even from me."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

By the end of the work day, they had narrowed it down to five of the mines, with five more as possible back ups. The guys decided that they would head back to Seattle in the morning and get their search of the abandoned mines started. Uncle Roy wouldn't do any of the climbing, but he'd be there for any ground support they might need. With some "help" from Micah and Chase, they had their new gear packed, and loaded into the truck they would take to the airport the next day.

Micah asked C.J. if Houston could come to his house for dinner and to see his room. After they both promised they would behave themselves and follow the rules, C.J. agreed. They had pizza for dinner, not as good as Mama's, but acceptable as far as pizza goes. While Micah and Houston played, C.J. got Penelope and Chase bathed and in bed. The entire time Chase kept a watchful eye on Houston to be sure he didn't get too close to C.J., which amused Houston to no end.

Houston got a call from the guys, and went to talk to them on the phone in the living room, when it was Micah's turn to go to bed. C.J. made sure he was tucked in, then he asked, "If you're not too mad, will you sing to me so I can fall asleep?"

Houston was just returning and saw through the door that she ruffled his hair, and said, "I'm never too mad to sing you to sleep." She began singing _Dreamland_ by Mary Chapin Carpenter. "_Sun goes down and says goodnight_. _Pull your covers up real tight…_"

As Houston stood in the hallway and listened, he was struck deeply by the words to the song.

"_Your pillow's soft, your bed is warm. Your eyes are tired when day is done…"_

They were familiar, but he couldn't place why. The emotions the song evoked were pleasant ones; warm and loving ones. He was sure he knew it and yet didn't know it, all at the same time. He knew his Daddy didn't sing it to him. He'd have remembered that. He knew it wasn't part of his record collection when he was a kid.

"_Who knows where you'll fly away, winging past the light of day…"_

He didn't think one of his nannies sang it to him.

"_The man in moon and the milky way, welcome you to dreamland."_

When she was done and walked out into the hallway, she took Houston by the hand and quietly led him to the kitchen. She began doing the dishes as he handed her plates and cups.

He commented, "C.J. that song, it's so familiar, but I don't know why."

She paused briefly, but didn't look at him. "Is it?" She kept doing the dishes. She really didn't think she would ever have to tell him about this. She inwardly chided herself for not picking a different song to sing to Micah knowing Houston was bound to overhear it.

He could tell she knew, "You know why that is, don't you?" He watched her carefully.

She still didn't want to look at him. "Yes." She always wanted to be honest with him. It was how and why they worked so well together. But this was from a really painful time in his life that he never liked to talk about with anyone. Not her. Not his dad. No one.

He sensed she was nervous about whatever it was, so said gently, "Tell me."

Maybe it was time he heard the story. She let out a long, slow breath, "It's familiar because I sang it to you."

He was sure he would have remembered her singing to him. "I… I don't recall that. When?"

She knew she needed to tread lightly because of how touchy this subject was for him, "When you came back from the war. You were REAL messed up, Pal. Especially about losing Will. Drunk _all_ the time. Angry and combative." She looked over at him reassuringly, "Don't get me wrong, we understood why, but we just weren't sure how to help you. You rejected every suggestion we gave you."

She paused to see if he would react to that, but he just waited for her to continue. She put the bottles in the sterilizer as she spoke, "So, one night, when you were _particularly_ soused, I helped you up to your room. I put you on the bed, took your boots off, and as I was covering you with a blanket, you sat up _so_ fast and grabbed me and pulled me onto the bed with you."

He inhaled quickly, "I didn't…" In his right mind he would never force himself on any woman, but he knew that he was a blackout drunk during that time in his life, so he didn't know what he might have been capable of.

She quickly reached over and caressed his cheek while shaking her head, "No. No, not at all. But you were holding me _so tight_…" And he could see that she could still feel it to this day, "So I started to sing that to you and you relaxed and fell asleep. Until the song was over, then you tensed up again, so I just kept singing it to you over and over again."

He wondered, "How many times did you sing it?"

"Not sure exactly, but I sang it all night long." She glanced over to see his reaction, but he didn't really have one, "I was finally able to get out of the bed in the morning, and that day you didn't seem to remember it at all. But you were a _little_ better that day. That night I went to check on you and I could hear you tossing and turning, so I slipped into your room and sang it to you all night long again."

He couldn't believe that he didn't remember her doing that, "How long did that go on?"

She bit her lip, then admitted, "About a month."

He was astounded, "A month?! Did Daddy know?"

She smiled a little, and said tenderly, "Of course, he knew. He was the one who encouraged me to keep at it, because he could see the difference in you, too."

From the time they were ten, Bill always had a different set of rules for C.J. than any other young woman that came to the house to visit Houston. She always assumed it was because he knew that Houston only saw her as a friend and nothing more; so she was allowed to be in his bedroom at any time of the day or night, door closed, no one sent to check on them. When he saw them he would only ever ask, _"Did you two kids have fun?"_

Houston quickly 'did the math' and had to ask, "But weren't you busy studying to pass the bar?"

She nodded, "Yup." He was about to say something, but she carried on, "But I didn't mind because each day you were a little better, a little more yourself. And if that's what I had to do to help you come back to us, then it was worth it."

Houston was silent and stared at the floor. He was having a transcending moment of realizing just how much and how long C.J. had loved him. Exactly how unconditional her love for him was. Precisely how deeply contrasting her love for him was compared to Elizabeth's or any other woman _he_ had thought he loved. How could he have missed it? What could he have possibly done to earn her love in that measure? Nothing he could think of.

She was getting nervous, because he was so quiet for so long. She finally inquired, "Are ya' mad?"

He came out of his head, "How could I be mad?" He pulled her into a hug, and the energy that passed between them made every single inch of his body tingle. He wasn't a big believer in auras, but in this moment, he knew theirs had merged in a way they hadn't before. He assured her, "I'm glad you told me." This was it. The moment he had been waiting for; he was going to tell her he loved her. He pulled back and took her face in his hands to gaze into her eyes, "C.J…"

A squeal of "MINE!" went up like a siren, and C.J. turned and caught a running Chase, before he could shove Houston, and picked him up.

She said, "Let me put him back in bed." And just like that she went out of the kitchen. The phone rang and she asked, "Could you get that?"

He sighed, "Sure." Then walked over to the wall where the phone was. "Hello?"

While she was rocking Chase back to sleep, she was trying to figure out that last bit in the kitchen. Something was different about that hug. She was wondering if he felt it too. There was an electricity that passed between them. She was sure of it, but then it had to just be her imagination. Just wishful thinking on her part. It took about fifteen minutes to get Chase to fall deeply asleep enough that she could put him in his toddler bed. This time she made sure the gate in his doorway was set properly.

As she walked into the living room, Houston was already standing by the door, keys in hand. "Are you leaving?" She was hoping they could continue their conversation.

He nodded, "Yeah, there's a problem with the plane so I need to go and see if I can borrow or buy another one before tomorrow morning."

She tried to hide her disappointment as she walked over to where he was, "Oh, of course. Well, let me know if you need anything. I'll probably take Chase out to see the horses this weekend."

Houston smiled, "He'll like that." Then he pulled her in for a hug and the electricity was still there and then he gave her a light kiss on the lips. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled then closed and locked the door behind him. Neither of them slept well that night, but not because of bad dreams.


	15. Chapter 15

Hi! Well, the school year has started here, so I haven't had as much time to sit down and write, but I promise I will be working on new chapters. It'll just take more than a week to get new ones out.

Thanks for reading and commenting! Tami

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Houston managed to borrow a plane from one of his former clients, King Abdul Ibn Hasim, who was in town on business, when they happened to bump into each other at the airplane hangar. Houston had helped rescue the King's son from a kidnapping by an old friend of the Houston family. After they caught up, King Hasim insisted that Houston borrow his plane for as long as he needed.

The King's brother, Prince Fahad Ibn Hasim, was there also and inquired after C.J. He had been quite taken with her when they had met during that ordeal. At the time, Houston took great pleasure in telling the Prince what C.J. liked. The Prince was hoping to woo her and make her one of his wives. She wasn't happy Houston had told the Prince that she loved emeralds and Mama's pizza. The Prince went out of his way and presented her with a bag of emeralds, none of them under 20 carats, and had Mama make her a special pizza. She politely turned him down. Houston had a good laugh about it.

He was now regretting his earlier actions as the Prince was just as persistent this time. When he found out that C.J. was still single, he took off in his limo to go and find her. Luckily for Houston, C.J. wasn't at home or the office and she had actually moved since the last time the Prince had met her. He would make sure to call and warn her about him, because the way his luck was going, he'd come back from Washington and she would have married him and be off to live with him. He'd have her go and stay at the ranch. Now that it had a security system, the Prince wouldn't be able to get on the property unless someone let him in.

He caught a couple of hours sleep after submitting his flight plan, then helped the guys load up the plane in the morning. They arrived in Seattle just after noon, and checked into the presidential suite. They agreed to get a start in the morning after spending the afternoon talking to some of the people in the city about the mines in the area. Since Sultan was only about an hour's drive with traffic, they decided that staying in Seattle would keep the locals from getting too suspicious. They started with the Justice, Mystery and Monte Cristo mines, but none of them panned out as they were now closer to a paved road than their maps had indicated, so there was a lot of tourist activity in them. They got back to the suite that evening, and didn't feel that the trip was a total waste; they were able to test out their gear and figure out what tweaks needed to be made.

They searched all five mines they thought were most promising, as well as the next five that were on their list, but had no luck. During their evening phone call on Tuesday, C.J. said that Melissa and her husband had found a home and would be moving within two weeks. Houston could hear a trace of sadness in her voice, "You okay?"

She sighed, "Yeah. I'm gonna miss them, though." Then she changed the subject before she got too maudlin, "So do you want me to come up there and help?"

He wanted to say, _"Yes. I need you. I love you."_ But what he actually said was, "No, I want you to stay put and see if BABY can come up with some other options for abandoned mines, now that we've eliminated all the mines on our list."

She knew he always had a feeling about things while working a case. "What is your gut telling you?"

His gut was telling him to follow C.J.'s lead on this one. "It's been surprisingly quiet about all of this."

Her gut was telling her that they were getting close, and that usually meant dangerous situations were close at hand. "Well, if it starts talking, you listen to it. Your gut has rarely led you wrong, Pal."

"I will." He didn't want their conversation to end. "So, what are you doing for the 4th?"

She wished she was going up to Seattle to help them look for this guy, but since Chris was not trained in using BABY, she knew she would have to stick around LA. "I'm going to a picnic with Carol and some other friends. Nothing too exciting. What do boys have planned?"

"They say the fireworks display over by the Space Needle is something to behold, so if we're back to the city in time, we'll probably do that." He could hear her clicking away on BABY.

She came upon an idea, "Houston…" But she hesitated to tell him.

"Yeah?" He was interested in whatever she was thinking.

"What if…" More clicking

"What if, what, C.J.?" It made him crazy when she didn't trust her instincts.

"What if he took the 203 down south, that would put him parallel with Seattle…" She was looking for mines in the area east of Seattle. "Which is where this guy was seen whenever Sarah entered the 76 Station up until she disappeared."

Houston grabbed his maps and started looking for the 203. "It's not that far from Sultan." Roy walked over to see what Houston was looking at.

"No…" She started to say something, but stopped.

"Talk to me C.J." There was more clicking on keys.

The name screamed at her for some reason. "The Cleopatra mine… It has 2000 feet of tunnels. It's well off of any paved roads, so it's not going to be a tourist destination, but not so remote that a seasoned person couldn't get in and out of there if they needed to, even in the winter."

He was moving the maps around, then searched for the one she was talking about. "Oh, I see it. Is that what your gut is telling you?"

She hesitated, "Your gut is better than mine on these things, you know that. But, yes, that's what my gut is telling me."

He knew his business partner had the upper hand, "Not on this case, darlin'. We'll go check it out tomorrow. It looks like it may be over a day's hike. Might need to set up a camp for overnight." That was concerning because any fire they lit might be seen by their suspect and spook him.

She was quietly looking at the maps on BABY. "But not if you go from US2 that's north of there. It's actually close to Sutltan… Just to the west of it… by the Skyomish airfield, there's a road that will get you closer than coming from the south. Do you see it?"

He found it, "Yeah, I do." Then his finger ran south on the map, "The trail that follows the Western Fork Miller River?"

She felt good about this. "That's the one. It'll still be a hike, but not as far. Be sure to check the weather before you go. It can change fast when you're at that elevation."

He loved her 'mothering' nature and snickered, "Are you telling me to take a jacket?"

She giggled, "Nooo… Yeees, and you guys be careful. If this guy has held her there for a year, he's not going to give her up easily."

He inhaled deeply, "We will. And we'll let you know what we find. In the meantime, keep looking at the other mines in the area for alternatives."

Now that she didn't have to rush home to get the kids fed and in bed, she was going to stay late and keep doing research. "I will. Bye."

He knew the answer to his next question, but he thought he should ask, just in case. "Oh, and C.J.?"

"Yes?" She said with a grin. She was wondering if he was going to ask about the Prince visiting her.

He grimaced a little, "The Prince didn't win you over by any chance, did he?" C.J. had told him that he was at the gate at the ranch and the office and begging for her hand in marriage and showering her with gifts.

"It was _awfully_ tempting, but I told him I was joining a convent slash monastery." After that the Prince went away disappointed.

He smiled and nodded, "Aahhh, so I sold you on the idea of vespers on the hammock."

She replied teasingly, "Sure. Let's… Let's go with that answer."

He laughed, "Bye."

She laughed, too. "Bye."

%%%%%%%%%

The next day they left well before the sun came, so they could start hiking at first light. First light that far north during the summer was at about 5am. They drove to the furthest point they could before Will and Houston needed to start out on the hiking trail. Uncle Roy was going to stay with the rental car. They had the best walkies-talkies, known as SAT phones, that The Company had available. They would be able to keep in touch so that if they needed help, Roy would be able to call their contacts at the FBI and The Company.

It took them until noon to get to the valley, as there was a winding climb up then down a mountain pass and a river to cross, which wasn't running fast, but it was hip to waist deep. They were able to call Uncle Roy and let him know that they made it to the mine's entrance and were about to go in. As they cautiously entered the mine, with their headlamps lit, it seemed to be empty, but they tied off a rope and started marking the walls, so they could make their way back out, in case they got lost.

It was slow going, but at one point, deep in the mine, they heard a noise. A muffled whine, that was coming from up ahead. Houston had Will hang back, just in case. As Houston entered a small alcove, he could see there was an old wooden ladder leading down. He went down it gingerly, testing each rung to be sure that it would support his weight. When he arrived at the bottom, he turned to see a young woman, who looked vaguely like Sarah, chained to the wall with a gag in her mouth. She was naked and shivering. She was wide eyed and terrified at first, but then realized it wasn't her captor, and relaxed a bit.

Houston looked around the small, dark chamber at the wooden crates, cot with a dirty blanket, scraps of paper and food scattered on the floor, and whispered, "Is he here?" She shook her head, so he went over to her and took the gag out. "Are you Sarah?"

The slim, pale, dirty young woman nodded, "Yes. Who are you?"

"My name's Houston. Matt Houston, I'm a PI and your father hired me to find you. You hold on a minute and we'll get these chains off of you." Then he went back to the ladder and called up to Will to toss him down the bolt cutters and the clothes they had brought for her. Those had been C.J.'s idea.

At this point she didn't care that a strange man was seeing her naked; she was about to be freed and going home and that was more important than her modesty. She then asked in rapid fire succession, "How did you find me? How long have I been here? How are my parents?"

As he started cutting the chains off, "We'll have plenty of time to answer your questions on our way back to the car, but for now we need to get out of here before he comes back." He handed her the clothes, then found the gas lantern over by the cot, and lit it so there would be more light than the light from his helmet. He turned his back so that she could get dressed in the sweatpants, t-shirt, jacket and socks that were loose on her now thin frame.

"He shouldn't be back for a couple of days. He just left… yesterday? It's hard to know what time, but when he goes, he's gone for a long time." She started dressing as quickly as she could.

Houston's gut was telling him to keep moving. "Just the same, we're not going to take any chances. Do you think you can climb the ladder?"

"I… I think so." She fingers were trembling so much that she struggled with the laces on the boots.

Houston went over and tied them for her, "Come on, let's get out of here."

It was a slow climb up the ladder as her muscles were atrophied from lack of regular use. Will tied a loop in the rope and had her use it like a seat to assist her up the ladder. They quickly made their way out of the mine, and handed Sarah a hat and sunglasses because her eyes had not seen the light much during her year of captivity. The called Uncle Roy on the SAT phone to let him know that they had found her. He was to then call the local authorities as well as the FBI for back up.

They decided the best way to cross the river would be to basket carry her to the other side, then go back and get their gear. They had made their way up the mountain pass and were halfway down when there was a whooshing sound and an arrow hit the tree that was next to Will, narrowly missing him.

Houston ordered, "Get down!" They all squatted, moved to the tree line, and looked around. Houston pulled out his gun, but the woods were thick and they couldn't see who had shot the arrow. He didn't want to hurt some poor hunter by mistake.

After a minute, Sarah squeaked out, "It's him. He hunts with a bow and arrows." She was shaking at the thought of being dragged back to that mine and what he would do to punish her for escaping.

Will told her in a hushed tone, "Don't you worry. You're not going back there." Having made several escape attempts when he had been captured in Vietnam, he understood the dread she was feeling at being so close to freedom, to have it snatched away from you.

Houston looked around, "OK, Will, get on the SAT and tell your dad we need back up now." They only had about a half mile to go to get to the bottom of the ridge, then they would be on the trail that ran adjacent to the river. But it was still a long hike back to the trail head for someone in Sarah's weakened condition. They stayed quiet while Will made the call.

Will said softly, "Dad said that they're sending in a couple of choppers. They're about five minutes out."

Houston looked at Sarah, "What's his name?"

"Ethel." She was searching the trees, trying to see if she could spot him.

Both Will and Houston said, "Ethel?" She nodded not noticing their incredulity.

Will scoffed, "Explains a lot."

Houston let out a sigh, then shouted, "Ethel! I need you to listen to me."

If he was phased that they knew his name, he didn't show it. "She's my wife. We're married. You give her back to me right now and no hard feelin's."

Houston could tell that Ethel had to be 60-70 yards away. He wanted to keep him talking so they could tell if he was on the move. "We're not going to do that. She's not your wife. She's a girl you kidnapped."

His voice was a little closer, but had an odd soft tone to it, "It's not like that. She smiled at me. No one in the city smiles at me."

Houston was amazed and concerned that he could move so quietly through the trees. He could tell that Ethel was a sad, mentally unstable man. "Just because she smiled at you, doesn't mean she wanted you to chain her naked to a wall."

There was silence, the next time he spoke he was closer. Not more than 40 yards away. "I.. I'm real sorry 'bout that. I just didn't want her to run away like the others." Then he said in an odd voice, almost like a child, "She smiled at me." Then another arrow came flying and went through the tree Houston was hiding behind, narrowly missing his face by an inch.

He was hoping that Ethel would think he was bluffing, but he needed to buy them some time. "Ethel, there are rescue teams on the way. They'll be here any minute now. You're not going to take her back with you. You need to just lay down your bow, so they don't shoot you."

"Ain't nobody comin'." He said defiantly, but he was looking around.

Houston spotted him moving in the tree line up ahead. He knew he didn't have a clear shot and really wanted this guy taken in alive so he could explain what happened to 'the others' he spoke of. "Yes, they are. Listen. Can you hear the chopper blades?"

The faint sound of chopper blades could be heard, but Ethel said, "Makes me no nevermind. They can't land a chopper in the trees."

His voice was close, so Houston fired off a warning shot. "Now, Ethel. I have a gun. I don't want to shoot you, but I will if you don't surrender."

Just then the SAT phone let out a squawk, and then voices could be heard moving fast towards them. The chopper was directly above them and a voice said, "Put down your weapons, get down on the ground, and put your hands behind your head."

Will and Sarah complied, but Houston could see Ethel running through the trees, crossbow ready to shoot. Houston jumped up and yelled, "Don't shoot him!" But a shot rang out, and the bow let loose its arrow as its owner fell to the ground. The arrow didn't find the mark that Ethel had intended, but it hit Houston in the calf as he was diving for cover.

%%%%%%%

C.J. had spent most of the morning either pacing or using BABY to find more mines in case the Cleopatra wasn't the one. But her gut told her it was. It was about 5 o'clock when the phone rang, she picked it up quickly, "Houston Investigations."

Roy said, "C.J. we found her."

There was a mix of emotions in his voice that C.J. was having difficulty interpreting. She inhaled sharply, "Was she alive?"

"Yep, just like your intuition told you." He could hear her let out a sigh of relief. "She was being held captive by an Ethel Rietenhouse. He's claiming they're married and after surgery he'll be undergoing a psychological evaluation."

C.J. was smiling, "I'm happy she's alive. How is she?"

"Well, they're treating her for malnutrition, a few cuts and bruises, but it'll be the psychological damage that will take the longest to heal from."

Then she asked, "How are Will and Houston?" She knew there was more to the story by the tone in his voice.

Roy knew before he said it what she was going to do, "Will's fine, but Houston took an arrow in the leg. He's in surgery right now…"

She was deciding if she should call to book a plane ticket or just show up at the airport and take her chances. "I'm on my way."

He promised Houston he would not let her come up for such a 'little scratch'. Even though the arrow went through his calf muscle, narrowly missing an artery but nicking a vein, and chipped the bone a bit. If they hadn't been able to load him in the helicopter and fly him back to Seattle, he may very well have bled out before they would have been able to drive him to a hospital.

He continued, "No, C.J. He wanted me to tell you he's fine and not to come up here."

Since Chris wasn't in the office to make the plane reservation, she decided to take her chances at the airport, "I'll see you in a few hours. Which hospital?"

He gave up, "Harborview Medical Center, but he'll probably be released tomorrow."

"Okay, see you soon." She hung up and went to grab her purse, then she was out the door. She didn't even think to pack an overnight bag.

%%%%%%%%%%%%

Houston woke up with a start and heard a familiar voice, "It's OK, Houston. You're in the hospital. The doctor said the surgery went very well."

It was a voice that made him go all soft and hard at the same time, even though he was very groggy from the pain meds. "C.J., what are you doing here? I told Uncle Roy to tell you not to come."

"You can't fly the King's plane back to LA with a bum leg, so I figured I would do it. Wouldn't want you to get charged a fee for scratching it." She lowered the railing on the bed so she could sit facing him. "Besides, I had to come and congratulate the hero." She leaned down and gave him a peck on the cheek, then sat back up.

He took her hand and kissed it. "No, that was all you. Your instincts were dead on with this case." She smiled at him, then he finally processed what she had said, "I can fly just fine."

She stroked his cheek, "It is one in the morning, we can have that discussion later. It's time for all good little cowboys to be asleep." Then she moved to stand up, but he pulled her back down. "Houston…"

"Come on Counselor, I'll spoon you." And he pulled her closer. Even on pain meds the electricity still sizzled between them.

Her breath caught as the energy reached her. _"No, that's not what it is."_ She told herself it was just wishful thinking on her part, so she put her hands on his chest and pushed up a bit, "Matlock Houston, we're gonna get in trouble. That nurse was none too happy that I insisted on staying in the room overnight. She'll hit the roof if she finds us in bed together."

Nurse Wentworth chimed in, "Yes, she will. Now Ms. Parsons, I told you the rule…"

C.J. put her hands up, "Well, you need to tell him."

Houston put up his hand, "I got it."

Nurse Wentworth went ahead and checked his vitals, adjusted his pillows, then added more meds to his IV drip. She gave them both a stern look before she left the room.

When the door closed, he pulled the covers back and patted the bed while wiggling his eyebrows, "Come on."

She smiled and shook her head, "Nooo, way. She scares me."

He put his hand out, pouted, and said in a pathetic little voice, "Will you sing that song to me?"

She grinned, then she moved her chair closer and held his hand, and started singing _Dreamland_ to him. He nodded off before she had finished the song.

%%%%%%%

Later that morning, Houston was eating breakfast, while chatting with C.J., when there was a knock on the hospital room door. Mr. Harmon said, "Are you up for visitors?"

In between big bites Houston mumbled, "Sure." C.J. shook her head and rolled her eyes. He spotted it and asked, "What?"

She grinned, "Who ever lands you is going to be SO lucky." He grinned back, not saying what he was really thinking.

Mr. Harmon, followed by his wife, pushed a wheelchair into the room with a smiling Sarah sitting in it wearing a plush pink robe over the hospital gown. She looked at Houston, "I just want to thank you again for rescuing me. I don't know how you even figured out where I was."

He tossed his head towards C.J. "Well, it was C.J.'s intuition that lead us the whole way. Sarah, this is C.J. Parsons." C.J. smiled, and he continued, "She thought of the mines, she figured out which mine it was. It really was all her."

She smiled at C.J., "Then I owe you my gratitude, but that doesn't seem like enough." Her lip started to quiver.

"How 'bout a hug? That and the fact that you are back with your family… It's more than enough." C.J. then walked over, leaned down and gave the teary-eyed girl a hug. C.J. eyes were filled with tears, too.

Mrs. Harmon was crying as well, and when C.J. stood up, she pulled her into a big hug. She whispered, "Thank you. Thank you for giving our baby back to us." They hugged for a few moments.

C.J. then looked at a beaming Houston, "It wasn't all me; you're the one who took the arrow in his leg." She then walked back over and stood next to his bed.

"Totally worth it to see a family back together." Then he looked at Sarah, "SO when are they springing you?"

Sarah sighed wistfully, "The doctors want to keep me here a few days. What about you?"

Houston wriggled his nose, "The same, but I'm going to…"

C.J. interrupted, "Be a good little patient and do what the doctor tells you."

Houston looked over at C.J., shook his head and grinned, "We never shook on that pact, so…"

She gave him the look, "I'll remember that for the next time."

Sarah looked at the two of them, "So if you're married, why do you have different last names?"

Houston said, "That is a _good_ question." Then he put his hands up in an 'I don't know gesture'.

C.J. did a double take, and gave him a very puzzled look, then turned and looked at Sarah, "We're not married. We're just friends."

Now it was Sarah's turn to look puzzled, "Really?" C.J. nodded while Houston took a bite of toast. Sarah was dubious, "'Cause you seem like an old married couple."

Houston grimaced, and grabbed C.J.'s forearm, "Ooo, that word 'old' kinda stings, doesn't it?"

C.J. inhaled sharply and agreed softly, "Little bit, yeah."

Just then the nurse came in looking for Sarah, so they said their good-byes. C.J. wanted to ask Houston about his response to the 'married' question, but decided it must be the pain killers and let it go.

She looked at him finishing his meal, "Do you think you can behave yourself for a little while?"

His eyes darted side to side a bit, "Of course." He was planning his escape. "Where are you going?"

She walked over to the chair to retrieve her purse, "I have to go shopping. I left LA without packing a thing."

His eyebrows raised high, "YOU? I can't believe that."

She walked back over to his bedside, grinning, "I know, it's a first. So, I need to pick up some things since you're not being released for a couple of days." She could tell he was planning on hopping out of the bed the minute she was out the door. "Matlock Houston, you need to stay put. You're still getting antibiotics through the IV. Not to mention they need to monitor you for any signs of a blood clot that could lead to a stroke or worse."

He got a devilish grin, "I can think of only one thing that would keep me here."

She put her hands on her hips, "And what is that?"

"Those red shoes from the club." He said while wiggling his eyebrows.

She crossed her arms and smirked, "I don't think you can pull that look off, but I'll see if they have them in your size."

He glowered at her, "You know what I mean."

She shook her head, "I don't know what's gotten into you lately… Other than that arrow." She leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek, and felt that sizzle again. She shook it off, then said, "I'm going to tell them to adjust your pain meds. See you later."

He watched her go, picturing her in the red shoes, and sighed.


	16. Chapter 16

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

C.J. returned to the hospital a few hours later and while she was happy that Houston hadn't made a break for it while she went shopping, he was disappointed that there were no red shoes in her purchases.

_That evening, C.J. got permission to take Houston over to a building with a garden rooftop so they could watch the fireworks. She had worked with the owner of the building a long time ago and he was more than happy to have them join his office party. Uncle Roy stayed with Will in the suite, because Will was still sensitive to those types of loud sounds. The doctor told Houston that if he continued to make progress then he could go back to the hotel on Saturday, and should be able to fly home on Monday. _

_As they were waiting for the fireworks to begin, the rooftop was crowded with people who had been partying all day. C.J. had to make sure that Houston didn't sneak any beer that would, coupled with the pain meds, make him fall asleep before the fireworks even began. She didn't fully succeed, but she made him promise to keep it to one beer._

_When she returned from a trip to the bathroom, her chair was taken by a pretty strawberry blonde in a low-cut tank top that showed off her rather large attributes._ "Just his type" _C.J. thought wistfully as she remembered Elizabeth. She was also a strawberry blonde, but not quite as curvaceous as this woman._

_C.J. stood next to Houston and when he saw her, he patted his good leg and said, "Come on, counselor, sit with me." This disappointed the hot secretary, who was trying to chat him up. _

_She could tell by the look in his eyes the beer hit him harder than one beer would have normally. Unless he snuck a second one while she was thanking their host and utilizing the facilities, and she wouldn't have put it past him. The fireworks had already started, so she hesitantly sat on his lap with her legs draped over the arm and the wheel. "I don't think you should have had that beer, pal. You're not…" _

_The rest of her sentence was lost because he had captured her in a passionate kiss. The logical side of her brain said she should stop the kiss immediately, but her heart didn't want it to ever stop. Kissing him like this felt truer than with any other man she had ever kissed. There was something about it that went straight to the core of her being. It was just like the kiss at the club. He was thinking the same things. When she heard the harrumph of the secretary he had been talking to, it made her self-conscious. When she finally pulled away, she breathlessly asked, "What was that for?"_

_He grinned, "It's good luck to kiss under the fireworks on the 4__th__ of July." And he was about to kiss her again. _

_She shook her head, "No, you're thinking of New Year's Eve." She thought he must have had couple of beers when she was busy elsewhere. _

"_Oh, my mistake." He leaned in to kiss her again, but her fingers went to his lips._

_She shook her head, "I think we should just watch the fireworks."_

_He was staring into her eyes, his breathing was ragged, "I want to kiss you again."_

_She was puzzled by him, "But why?"_

"_Because I love you." Then he moved her hand away and kissed her quickly and repeated over and over between kisses, "I love you. I love you…"_

The nurse, who was adjusting the wires from the EEG machine in the dimly lit hospital room, looked from the mumbling Houston over at C.J., "I think he means that for you."

She looked away from the TV, which was showing a live feed of the fireworks over the Space Needle, sighed, and said softly, "No, he's probably dreaming about… One of his many dates…" Probably Elizabeth, then she added sarcastically, "Or his frog."

The nurse raised an eyebrow, "A frog?" She whispered as she began writing in his chart.

C.J. fidgeted in the recliner that was brought in for her, raised her hands a bit, waving away the question, "It's a long story. Anyway, it's not meant for me." She was inwardly kicking herself for holding any hope that it might be for her. She had been burned too many times thinking he might love her, to find out he was just teasing, or, worse, that whatever gesture he made toward her meant more to her than it did to him. And when he almost married Elizabeth, a woman he knew basically for a few seconds in comparison to her...

As the nurse left the room, the janitor came in with his Walkman on, and C.J. could just make out Wynonna's _"Tell Me Why"_.

"…_It's a mean ol' love with a flame that never dies…"_

A part of her couldn't figure out what he found so wrong with her that he didn't love her. Other men were attracted to her, but not him. Never him. Even when she laid it on the line and told him she loved him, he had nothing to say to her about it.

"_And it's a real bad sign…"_

But lately there had been something in the way he looked at her, touched her, and held her. And then there was that thing that Will said about "finally tell her you love her", but did he? She made herself stop. It was never going anywhere with him, ever. And yet she could never quite give up that hope no matter how many times his actions had shown her he would never love her. Even when she was dating other men, like Carl and Robert, a tiny piece of her wished that Houston would love her the way they did.

"_I'm walkin' on a real thin line…"_

She looked over at him sleeping serenely, and it was like a magnet pulling her towards him emotionally and physically.

"_A fool in love with a fool that never cared…"_

Maybe that move to Sydney wasn't such a bad plan after all. Put some distance between them, then he could move on to his next conquest, and she wouldn't have to die a little inside watching it happen. Maybe then she would finally be free of this never-to-be-reciprocated thing that she had held for him from practically the moment she met him, or at least since they were teenagers. Maybe she should pay Kai a visit. She sighed. That would have to wait until after the dance competition Doc signed them up for. Only one week to go and she really should be practicing their routine, but Houston was injured and that took priority over a silly dance contest.

"_So won't you tell me why, -ye, -ye. I can't say good-bye, -ye, -ye…"_

The janitor walked out, then she sighed again and closed her eyes.

%%%%%%

On Friday and Saturday, after many ultrasounds of his leg to check for blood clots, they put him in a hard cast when it was suggested to the doctors that he would not "keep off it" nor would he "go easy" if his leg was only wrapped in a bandage. C.J. felt a little bad for spilling the beans to the doctors, but she knew him too well. So, after they put him in a hard cast, which he was none too happy about, and he had some PT to be sure he could maneuver on crutches, Houston was released from the hospital but told not to fly until Monday morning. He was on a short course of blood thinners, so he could have issues at a high altitude.

When Houston refused to stay in the room and rest with Uncle Roy, who was more worn out than usual, the three went to the crowded Pike Place Market and they ordered salmon, crabs and lobsters from The Pike Place Fish Market, that they would pick up on Monday morning before they flew home. That night, after a day of shopping and eating they retired to the Presidential Suite. They played cards until Houston, who was on his last dose of prescription pain meds, almost fell asleep at the table. As C.J. hustled him off to bed, Will and Roy went to their room.

She then returned to the living room area and went to pull out the sleeper sofa; removing the cushions and placing them next to the couch.

Houston came out of his room, hopping from the bed to the doorway, and leaned against the door jamb. He was puzzled, "What are you doing? You can share with me."

She had her excuse ready, "No, I'm afraid I'll bump your bad leg, and with those blood thinners... I can sleep out here." She was not going to let herself get used to having him hold her while they slept, no matter how right it felt.

He said sleepily and softly, "It's a king-sized bed and your legs aren't that long. Come on." He motioned for her to take his hand.

She hesitated then silently cursed the strong magnet that was pulling her towards him. She put the cushions and pillows back on the couch and went with him to his room. She let him lean on her as they made their way back over to his side of the bed, then he laid down and she made sure that his leg was propped up on the pillows again. She went to the bathroom and changed into the pajamas she bought, finished getting ready for bed, then went out to the bedroom.

He was softly snoring and she thought about going to sleep on the couch, but she knew he would come and find her in the middle of the night, and he wouldn't use his crutches to do it, so she got in bed and turned off the light. In the wee small hours of the night she felt the bed shake when he startled awake, so she moved over to him, "Are you OK? Are you in pain?"

He looked at her with bleary eyes and then pulled her to him, "Yeah, I'm OK. Bad dream." He guided her head so she rested it on his chest and he put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

She could feel him drift back off to sleep, and wished this didn't feel so perfect. She drifted off to sleep shortly after he did.

%%%%%%

Very early Sunday morning, about 5am, she was up and getting ready for a run in her new black tank top and running shorts and blue running sneakers, when Houston came out of the bedroom, without the crutches, and saw her tying her shoes. "Where are you going?" He asked softly.

She smiled, and said just as softly so as not to wake up Uncle Roy and Will, "Just for a quick run." She wasn't doing any marathon training type miles, but she didn't want to get out of the habit of a morning jog either.

He shook his head, his voice went to a normal volume, "I don't want you to go by yourself. You don't know this neighborhood…"

She let out an exasperated sigh, but kept her voice soft, "I'll be fine, Houston."

He made up his mind, and said a little louder, "No, I don't want you jogging alone. You can do it tomorrow when we get home."

She raised her volume a bit, "I'll be fine, Houston. I'm not going that far and I'm pretty spry. Not to mention I've been trained to defend myself." She turned and started walking toward the door.

He became adamant, "No, C.J.! You don't know this neighborhood and you are _not_ going."

She did a slow burn as she turned, and her hands went to her hips, "What makes you think you get to tell me what I can and can't do?"

Just then Will stepped out of his room, closing the door behind him, and said softly, "Hey, hey, hey, you two. You're going to wake up dad. What is going on?" He had been on his way back from a trip to the bathroom when he heard them getting louder.

Houston started loudly, but then dropped his volume quickly, "SHE wants to go for a run, but she doesn't know how dangerous this neighborhood might be."

Before C.J. could start, Will put up his hand and said, "I'll go with her. Give me a minute or two to get dressed."

She stood, leaning against the wall by the door with her arms crossed, looking down at the floor. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, but decided not to. _"Gagh! He's so over protective and stubborn! What makes him think I HAVE TO listen to him? This is 'only child syndrome' at its worst. It's just as well he doesn't love me, because a relationship like that would make me crazy."_ she thought.

He hopped over to the dining room table and sat on one of the chairs, eyeing her the whole time. He couldn't figure out why she wouldn't just listen to him. _"Why can't she see that I'm just trying to protect her? Gagh! She's SO stubborn! How will we make a marriage work if she won't listen to me?"_ he thought.

A few minutes later, Will came out dressed in shorts, a t-shirt and sneakers and he and C.J. left. He got an earful from her on the elevator ride down to the lobby. He mostly just nodded and said, "Uh, huh." and "Oh, I know." When they walked outside, C.J. started to jog, but Will said, "Hold up! How long are you going to run for?"

She stopped, and walked back over to him, "I was thinking about a half hour out and then a half hour back. Should be about 6 miles altogether. Why?"

He smiled, "I'm going across the street to this coffee place I hear everyone talking about…" He looked at the name on the sign, "Starbucks? Anyway, I'm going to get some coffee and read the paper. Stop by and get me before you go back up to the room."

She smiled, gave him a hug, and said, "Thanks, Will." She turned and started running.

He said loudly, "And if you get killed… I'll see you up there, because Matt will kill me shortly after that." She raised her hand and waved as she jogged away on the fairly empty sidewalk.

She returned a little over an hour later with a bag of goodies from _Piroshky Piroshky's _in her hand as she joined him at his table. Will asked for a cup of water and after they stepped out, he splashed himself with it to make it look like he had been running, too. When they entered the suite Uncle Roy and Houston were sitting at the table drinking coffee.

She beamed, "Here you go, boys. Something to eat with your coffee." Roy opened the bag and started looking through the treats she had bought and settled on the beef an onion piroshky.

Houston looked at her then at Will. "How was the run?" He was trying to keep his tone even.

She could tell he was still miffed, so she replied first, "It was great. Saw some cool shops I want to go back to today."

He eyed her, "Mm, hmm. And what about you, Will? Did you enjoy the run?"

Will nodded enthusiastically, "It woke me up, that's for sure."

Houston narrowed his eyes at him, "Really? Are you sure it wasn't the coffee I saw you drinking at the place across the street?" He had gone downstairs to speak with the concierge about arranging limos to take them to the airport the next day. While he was waiting, he looked out the window and across the street to see Will sitting alone drinking coffee and reading the paper. He waited to see if C.J. would join him, but then he realized she wouldn't skip her run just to get coffee.

Without missing a beat, Will said, "Damn! I poured water on myself for nothing." Then he laughed while C.J. smirked.

She walked toward the bedroom while saying, "I'm going to shower and change." She was not about to hang around for a lecture from him.

Houston shook his head, and said in a determined tone, "I'm not done with you."

"Yes, you are." She said over her shoulder in an equally determined tone and closed the door behind her.

Houston was about to follow her, but Roy said, "Let it go, Matt. She didn't die." He handed Houston a cheddar cheese and garlic roll, "Just enjoy this." Houston took a bite, and sighed. Roy patted his arm, and said in a hushed tone, "This is the voice of experience talking - Don't think telling her you love her and marrying her will change her. She's a strong, independent woman; she's had to be that way since she was a child and you know that. So, you have to accept her as she is or move on."

Houston just nodded and reached for another treat from the bag, while planning how he was going to talk to her about this stubborn streak of hers.

%%%%%%

They flew back on Monday morning after Will retrieved their purchases from the fish market, and met them at the airport. Houston was a little miffed that he couldn't maneuver himself in the cockpit with his cast on without accidentally bumping a foot pedal. He wanted to use that time to talk to C.J. since he never caught her alone on Sunday, and he didn't want to start anything before bedtime because he really wanted her next to him while they slept. It was a habit he was getting used to and didn't want to break it over a tiff. She tried to stay on her own side of the bed that night, but when she woke with a start from a Castanos dream, she willingly snuggled with him when she found he had scooted across the bed to her while saying "Come on, honey. It's okay."

When they arrived back in LA and had thanked the King's pilot for the use of the plane, Will and Roy drove Houston home. C.J. took a limo back to the office to pick up her car. While she was there, she went up to the office and checked messages, and started the paperwork to wrap up their case. Chris came in and asked how everything went and she told her the whole story. Then they heard the elevator ding, and heard Hoyt calling out, "Doesn't anybody work in this place?"

C.J. laughed, then hollered, "We're in my office!"

Hoyt wandered in and Chris went back to her desk; exchanging pleasantries as they passed each other. Hoyt had a big smile on his face, "So, I heard the meddling PI was playing in someone else's backyard." It was all over the news how Houston and Will had rescued Sarah from a year of captivity in a mine. The FBI tried to take the credit for the rescue, but Mr. Harmon made sure that everyone knew who did the hard work of finding and rescuing his daughter.

She smiled proudly, "He did a _great_ job." Then asked, "Do you want something to drink?" She started to stand up, but he motioned for her to sit back down.

He grabbed a pool cue, and lined up a shot on the pool table. "No, I just wanted to talk to your partner about giving the department a hand with a case." He hit the ball, and it bounced off a couple of rails before knocking the 2 ball in the corner pocket.

She smiled at his celebratory fist pump, "Well, you can give him a call at home, but knowing him, he's ignoring doctor's orders and is out riding one of the horses and checking on the cattle." When they parted with a hug and quick kiss at the airport, she didn't even bother to tell him to behave himself, knowing that he wouldn't anyway.

Hoyt lined up another shot. "From what I heard on the news; you played a big part in the rescue. Maybe I should hire you."

She laughed, "Maybe I'll take you up on that, since he's supposed to still be recovering."

His shot just missed, then he lined up another one. "I know you've both had more than your share of bullet wounds, but an arrow to the leg has got to smart." He sunk this one.

She waved her hand, "Oh, you know him. It's not going to stop him from doing exactly what he wants to do."

He was studying the table, "Yeah, he is a stubborn one."

C.J. felt a little vindicated, "Thank you! Will you tell him that? He doesn't think he's all that stubborn."

"Oooh, he's not the only one." He eyed her and grinned.

She acted shocked, "And here I was about to invite you to our celebratory dinner tomorrow night."

He hit the ball, "Really? Who's payin'?"

She grinned, "Who do you think?" She knew Houston wouldn't mind at all if Hoyt came along. Their business relationship may have had a bit of a bumpy start, but they became friends in the long run.

He stopped and looked up at her, "Is this one of those black-tie affairs?" He wasn't fond of wearing a tux, but then no man he knew was. Women seemed to love it though, and whatever got his wife's motor runnin', he was willing to do.

She cocked her head, "You know us. We like to do it up right."

He concentrated and then made his next shot, "Can I bring the wife along? She loves those kinds of things."

"Sure, and you'll get to meet my friend Carol." C.J. never got to properly thank Doc for bringing a small doctor's office and a nurse over to Houston's house to take care of her when she had strep.

He posited, "She's the doctor Houston doesn't go to unless he's forced to?"

"That's the one." She wasn't going to mention that she was almost as bad as Houston when it came to doctors. Almost.

"You bringing a date?" He was wondering if Kai might show up. He didn't feel like he got to really get to know him, even though he was a big help with the Goodfellow case.

She crinkled her nose a bit and shook her head, "Nah, not enough time to scrounge one up."

"What about the cowboy?" He asked as he sunk his last shot.

"He says he's taking a break from dating, but with him? Who knows?" She would be interested to see how long he was going to keep his streak going.

%%%%%%%%%

Then next night everyone was dressed in their finest. C.J. had considered buying a new gown, but decided to go with light green one she hadn't worn since she, Mama Novelli, and Vince's wife Teresa went to the opera solo because Houston and Vince ditched them to help out in "a crisis at the arena".

At the time, Houston hadn't really paid attention to how the gown clung to her in all the right places, but he was noticing now. He wanted to find out what she was wearing underneath because it seemed like she wasn't wearing anything. Not a bra, not panties, nothing. The valets were noticing too as their party walked in. Houston wanted to put his arm around her waist, but he couldn't manage it while on crutches. So, he settled for maneuvering himself between them and C.J.; giving them the side eye in the process. Everyone, except C.J., was aware of it and all were smirking and trying not to laugh. Having heard the story from C.J., Carol leaned over to Will and whispered, "Mine!" Will giggled and nodded. Then as they walked across the threshold of the restaurant Roy almost tripped and fell, but Will caught him.

Everyone asked, "Are you okay?"

He smiled and shook it off, "Yeah, just a little dizzy. Must be all the altitude changes and not keeping bankers' hours."

Carol studied him, but didn't see any blatant evidence of anything being really wrong. "You might want to go to your doctor and get checked out just to be sure."

"I'll do that tomorrow first thing." These dizzy spells had been happening for the past week, but he chalked it up to being tired. He, like all the Houston men, was not going to go to the doctor for something as silly as a dizzy spell.

Dinner was lovely, and everyone was chatting away jovially. They were sitting boy/girl/boy/girl around the table with Houston and Will on the ends, Hoyt between Ann and Carol on one side, and Roy between C.J. and Chris on the other.

As dessert was being served, Hoyt brought up the case that they needed help with. A drug dealer, Fred Miles, who had jumped bail, was expected to be at a dance club on Friday night. But they couldn't have a police presence because it would spook the guy and he would disappear again.

Houston asked, "What makes you think he'll show up at this club on Friday night?"

The lieutenant said gruffly, "At the Seven Seas? Oh, there's some sort of competition his girlfriend is in."

Carol interrupted her conversation with Will to interject enthusiastically, "Oh! C.J. and I are going to be there!"

C.J. froze, "Stop talking, Carol." Which was said quickly and harshly, yet softly. She was hoping Houston hadn't heard Carol, but she could tell by the look on his face he had.

Will asked, "Really?" He couldn't picture either of them at a place like that.

Carol continued brightly, "Yeah, we're in the pole dancing competition."

This time C.J. said through gritted teeth, "Fortheloveofgod Carol, stop talking!" a little louder, but it was too late. All eyes at the table were on them. C.J. wanted to crawl in a hole and die. She stared at her plate and wouldn't look at anyone, especially Houston. She could feel his eyes on her and she knew he was grinning.

Will was bewildered and asked, "So you're _stripping_?" Everyone wanted to hear the answer to this question.

Carol and C.J. looked at him and said together, "It's NOT stripping!" No one believed them.

Then, as C.J. put her hand to her forehead to cover her face, Carol explained that it was great exercise and built core muscles, and it was a real art form and she wouldn't be surprised if it were entered as an Olympic sport someday. Everyone sat in stunned silence.

Houston piped up, "Is that what you were showing Kai in the barn that day?" C.J. nodded but didn't look up or uncover her face. He looked at Hoyt, then back at C.J. "I believe I will help you with this case."

Hoyt mused, "Sounds like I should just hire C.J. and Carol."

%%%%%%%%%

The night of the competition Will, Roy, and Houston, who had all been wired, sat at the bar, but facing the stage. They had a good view of their suspect, and knew that they were there just to give Hoyt's team a chance to subtly move into position outside, so they could cover all of the exits. If Mr. Miles left early, they were to track and report only.

Before the competition started, Houston had surveyed the bar, then asked the bartender, "What are the camcorders for?"

While checking the beer taps, he replied, "Oh, I guess they're recording the competition, so the ladies can look them over later and see what they want to change about their routines."

Houston was planning ahead, "Can anyone get a copy of it?" There was one routine in particular he knew he was going to watch again, before it had even started. He had tried the rest of the week not to tease C.J. about it, but he couldn't help himself.

He replied in a disappointed tone, "No, it's for the competitors only. I already asked." Houston knew what a few Benjamins could do to bend the rules, and he was going to do his best to bend them.

As the competition got underway, most of the songs were slow and rhythmic, allowing the women to demonstrate their abilities with their core strength. Will had even commented that is was almost too low energy, even if it was impressive. There were three, fifteen-foot poles on stage, with the middle one set back a few feet from the end poles. Up to that point, the women had only used the two end poles. The lights on the stage went dark and it looked like Mr. Miles was getting ready to leave when the announcer said, "And for our last performance tonight we have a duo. Please welcome to the stage, The Girls from Sigma House!"

%%%%

Before they were announced, C.J. had been pacing nervously backstage. She and Carol were dressed in matching black, skin tight mini-shorts and black bejeweled sports bras. The top showed off Carol's cleavage, because she was bustier than C.J., but she knew it was tight enough that nothing would pop out when they were doing any inverted moves. While some of the women had on platform heels, they were going barefoot for their routine. They both preferred the grip that going barefoot gave them; it was better than with heels on.

C.J. was complaining for the umpteenth time that week that, "I can't believe he knows. I can't believe he's going to see me doing this…" She made the topic off limits at the office, not that it would stop him from teasing her. Finally she would go hide in her office whenever Houston would get that leering grin on his face.

Carol rolled her eyes, "It's good that he'll see you doing this. Maybe he'll finally take you off that pedestal he's been keeping you on."

That stopped C.J. in her tracks, "What? What pedestal? He…"

Carol had been holding back saying this for years, and it was finally time C.J. heard it. "Oh, yes he does, Sis. I've seen the two of you together. He has you _so_ high up, that way he doesn't have to try to change your relationship and move it to the next level. He can just keep tom cattin' around if he thinks you're too good, and pristine for him."

C.J. was flustered by Doc's statement, "He doesn't… I'm not…"

Doc was done with this conversation already and gave C.J. a light smack on the cheek, "Snap out of it C.J.! We've got a competition to win, and we're not going to do it if you're worrying about what he will think. Are you ready to do this?"

She sighed, "I guess so."

Carol shook her head and let out an exasperated sigh, "Oh, no! That is _not_ the answer I want."

C.J. rolled her eyes, rolled her head, then took a deep breath and reiterated in a more confident tone, "Yes, I'm ready to do this."

The stage hand approached them and said, "You're up. Now you want the stage dark when you start, right?"

Carol nodded and pulled C.J. along to the side of the stage to wait for their cue.

%%%%%%

The lights went up, to show C.J. and Carol standing back to back. When the song _"Bad Seed Rising"_ by the band Bad Seed Rising kicked in, they each danced over to an end pole. The song was very high energy compared to the songs the other women had performed to. It made Fred Miles sit back down in his seat.

"_I'm your little heartbreak, your little earth shaker…"_

They each held onto their pole and shook their fingers,

"_Don't shake your finger at me…"_

Then they did a dip turn followed by a tray table pirouette and a fan kick during,

"_I ain't misbehavin', I don't need your savin'. A little space is something I need…"_

They moved to the upwards climb at,

"_I'm not that little darlin', I don't beg your pardon. I'm trouble with a capital 'T'…"_

Then they dropped quickly backwards to an inverted position during,

"_I'm no angel, there's no stopping me…"_

And began to spin when the lyric _"Here I come…"_ began.

After that they went quickly and gracefully from one move to the next. At one-point Will said, "We should get ready to follow him."

Houston glanced quickly at Mr. Miles then back to the stage and shook his head, "He's not going anywhere."

Will was curious, "How do you know?"

"'Cause he's watchin' what I'm watchin'." Houston was thoroughly amazed at his business partner. Her grace and strength and flexibility while performing all the moves on the pole truly astonished him.

At the halfway point of the song, C.J. and Carol were both at the top of their poles, curled almost in a ball with only their stomachs and upper thighs holding them on the pole, when they released just enough to drop almost all the way to the bottom, before stopping themselves with only their stomach and upper thigh muscles.

The crowd went wild with applause. But it was a move that made Houston almost jump up to go catch C.J., even though there was no conceivable way for him to get there before she hit the floor if she hadn't stopped herself. It was a motion that didn't go unnoticed by Roy and Will and they smirked at each other.

The ladies then skipped across the stage, high-fived at mid stage, then worked their way up to the top of the opposite pole.

"_Well, I'm your bad seed rising, ain't no use denyin', this girl ain't a good girl no more…" _

They then held the pole with their lower arms extended and the upper arm bent, and their bodies perpendicular to the pole, with their legs, in a split position, undulating as they went around the pole. Then they did more quick maneuvers in time to the music, until C.J. dropped to the floor again and danced to the middle pole. As she worked her way to the top half, Carol made her way over to the middle pole. She stayed on the bottom half, and they did a spinning move in opposite directions.

"_Here I come, here I come…"_

Finally, Carol was holding the pole between her upper thighs and her body in a position that was reminiscent of a carved lady on the prow of a ship. C.J. flipped to an inverted pose similar to Carols and dropped down until Carol was holding one of C.J.'s ankles and C.J. was holding one of Carol's. They looked like a beautiful, shimmery circle as they spun like this for the last part of the song,

"_This girl ain't a good girl no more. This girl ain't a good girl no more…"_

When the song was over, they received a standing ovation, and after dismounting, they bowed then went off stage. Mr. Miles still hadn't moved, until the announcer said there would be a brief break to tally up the scores. At that point, he headed for the door and Will and Houston followed, but Roy stayed put.

They guys followed at a distance, and then suddenly what seemed like 20 police officers were yelling "FREEZE!" Mr. Miles tried to make a run for it, but it was no use, they had him on the ground and cuffing in a matter of seconds. Hoyt walked up and thanked Will and Houston.

Houston said, "You were right, you should pay C.J. and Carol, their act was what kept him there so long."

Hoyt raised an eyebrow, "That good, huh?" Both men nodded, "Maybe I'll have to get a copy of that and see it for myself."

Will said, "Good luck with that. Can we go? I want to see if they won."

Hoyt laughed, "You are free to go."

Houston and Will made it back to their bar stools in time to see the awards being presented. Will looked at his dad, "You okay, Dad?" Roy looked exhausted.

Roy nodded, "Yeah, I'm just not able to do these late hours like I used to." He hadn't gone to the doctor like he had said he would and his dizzy spells were happening more frequently.

Will rubbed his shoulder, "We'll go home after we see if they won, okay?"

Roy gave a weak smile and said, "Sure, that'll be fine." After C.J. and Carol won first place, Roy encouraged the boys to go up and congratulate the girls on their win.

Will was gushing, "Wow! You two were incredible! I don't know how you did some of those moves! And your outfits are amazing!" Both the women smiled.

C.J. looked over at Carol and said in an off-handed way, "She fills the top out better than I do."

Houston, who moved himself right behind C.J., commented in her ear, "You fill it out just fine, C.J."

She smiled shyly and turned to look him in the eyes for the first time since Carol spilled the beans, "Thanks." He was burning a hole through her, so she demanded, "All right! Just get the mocking and the jokes out of the way."

He shook his head, and said in an intensely sexy tone, "No mocking. No jokes. That was truly amazing." He had to remind himself that they weren't the only two people in the room, even though she was the only one he could see.

The spell was broken when Will demanded that they show him how they did the one maneuver where their bodies were perpendicular to the pole. After they showed him, he tried it, but couldn't get the hang of it. "That is so hard, but you two make it look easy." Then he spotted Roy, who had moved to a table, nodding off. "I gotta get Dad home, but I want you to show me more tomorrow!" After tossing on a pair of sweatpants and a jacket, Carol walked out with Will and Roy.

C.J. also donned sweatpants and a jacket, and after Houston and C.J. were at her car, she was leaning against the door and he moved so he was almost leaning against her. The energy was almost popping between them. He said softly, "I've missed sharing a bed with you."

C.J.'s breath caught at the way he was looking at her and wasn't sure how to respond to that, not knowing if there was more to it than a statement of fact. She was struggling to deny the strong vibes he was giving off. She managed to say, "I've kinda missed it too. So, what are you doing tomorrow? Or later today, I should say."

He moved so they were practically nose to nose and he was looking deep into her eyes, "I don't have any plans…"

They were interrupted by Will screaming, "MATT! C.J.!"

They quickly went to where Will had parked and saw Uncle Roy lying on the ground and Carol hovering over him.


	17. Chapter 17

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Later that morning, Will, Houston and C.J. were sitting in the waiting room at LA Memorial. Carol had been bringing them updates as often as she could, but there hadn't been much to report other than tests were being run, including a CT-scan and an MRI and both of those took hours. All Carol could say was that the attending doctors thought it must have been a stroke, and that the dizzy spells he had been having were actually TIAs, Transient Ischemic Attacks. She told them that TIAs are many times the precursors to a stroke, and if Roy had gone to the doctor when he first noticed them, they may have been able to avoid the situation they were now in. So, they just needed to figure out where in the brain it occurred, and that would give them an indication of Roy's prognosis.

C.J. stood up suddenly, "I'm going to get some coffee. Anybody else want some?" Both men were puzzled by her abruptness. Houston shook his head while studying her.

Will said, "That'd be great. Thanks." He didn't really want coffee, but thought it would be impolite to say 'no' to the offer.

She nodded, "Okay. Umm, cream and sugar?" Her brain was foggy from not having slept in over twenty-four hours.

"Yeah, a little of each, please." He managed a quick smile.

After she turned and exited the waiting room, Houston debated with himself. He didn't want to leave Will alone, in case there was any news, but he also felt like he should check on C.J. He decided that Will's need was greater at the moment, so he stuck with his cousin.

After several minutes of silence, Will looked at Houston, "I can't believe this is happening. I should have made him go to the doctor. I should have put him in the car and driven him there myself."

Houston shook his head and put a hand on his cousin's shoulder, "You had no way of knowing. He seemed more tired lately, but he's not a young man anymore, so we _both_ chalked it up to that. And he is a Houston after all, and we Houston men are very stubborn when it comes to going to the doctor."

Will grinned, then sighed, "I guess we are."

He poked him playfully in the chest, "But don't go tellin' C.J. I can't have her thinking she's right about that."

Will laughed, then burst into tears and Houston hugged him tightly. He sobbed, "I'm not ready for him to go." He was thinking about all the time he missed with both his parents while he was being held prisoner in Cambodia after the war was over.

Soothingly Houston said, "I know. I know." He remembered how much it hurt to lose his Daddy almost two years ago. It took a few minutes, but then they finally released each other, and Houston grabbed the box of tissues. Then they started talking about how their fathers handled the Texas Terrors anytime the families would get together.

C.J. came back a few minutes later with two coffee cups, crossed the room and handed one to Will. He thanked her and took a sip. She then moved to the other side of the room, sat her cup down on the end table, and started rooting through the magazines. She was trying to force herself to think of anything but her own parents' deaths, and how at times like this she felt a loneliness that went deep. She was glad that Houston and Will had each other; had family. Houston liked to say that she, along with Bo, Lamar, and the Novellis were family, but after what almost happened because of Elizabeth, she knew that was tenuous at best.

Her pensiveness did not go unnoticed by Houston. He crossed the room on his crutches and sat in the chair next to hers. "Did you find anything good?" looking at the magazines she had on her lap and in her hand.

She tossed the magazine she had in her hand on the table, "Not really. I just wish I had something to do. This waiting around is driving me to distraction." She looked at the happy couple holding a newborn on the magazine cover in her lap and sighed.

He rubbed her back, "Yeah, I know what you mean." The only thing holding him in place was wanting to make sure that Will didn't feel alone.

She looked at him, "If we knew something more, I could go put BABY to work on finding the right specialists for him."

He took her hand in both of his, "You did a great job of that when Daddy had his heart attack." He knew his father wouldn't have lasted as long as he did, brief though it was, if C.J. hadn't worked so hard.

Her bottom lip trembled, and she teared up, "I want a better outcome this time."

He stroked her cheek, "We all do." Then he pulled her into a hug.

%%%%%%%%

Many hours later Will and Houston were allowed to go into the ICU and see Roy. They were warned that he was still heavily sedated and that they would only be allowed to stay for a few minutes. Both men managed to hold it together while in with Roy; seeing him hooked up to a ventilator, and various other machines hit them both in the gut. They spoke encouraging words to him and told him they would be back first thing tomorrow morning. To see a man as strong and smart as Roy was in such a helpless state was almost more than they could bear, and they broke down once they were in the hall. They hugged each other tightly.

Will looked over Houston's shoulder and into the ICU waiting room expecting to see C.J., but she wasn't in there. He stepped back, then wiped his eyes, "We should wait for C.J. to see Dad before we head out." It was already evening time, so there were only a few minutes left in ICU visiting hours for her to visit with Roy before they would have to wait until morning.

Houston shook his head, "She left already." Once she heard the diagnosis, she was out the door before Houston could even say anything to her.

"Left? Before seeing Dad? Why?" He couldn't imagine her not wanting to see him. Especially since they were told he might not make it through the night.

He put his hand on Will's shoulder, "She went back to the office to do what she does best; apply her intellect to the problem. If you want to go back in and see him again, I'll wait for you."

He still didn't fully understand why C.J. wouldn't go see his dad, but said, "I think I will. Thanks, Matt." Will turned and walked back in leaving Houston in the hallway remembering how much he hated hospitals.

%%%%%%

After Houston dropped Will off at Roy's townhome, he went back to the office to check on C.J. When he entered the office, he saw BABY was running a program, but didn't see C.J. As he hobbled past the spa, he saw her curled up on the couch. She had changed her clothes from the sweatpants and jacket she had been wearing when they all rushed to the hospital after the dance competition. She was now wearing jeans and his old college sweatshirt, which made him smile. He went quietly downstairs and returned with a blanket. He covered her with it and gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek.

He studied the program for a few minutes, then, still not quite sure how she picked what she picked to search, he touched the keyboard and BABY started making noises that jolted C.J. awake. He looked over at her and could see she didn't fully know where she was. "Sorry C.J., go back to sleep. I'll fix this this." He touched a few more keys, but BABY didn't like that either.

She groggily tossed the blanket off her and moved over to sit next to him. He put an arm around her waist to steady her. She studied the screen for a minute, pushed a few keys, and BABY quieted down and went back to work. She asked quietly, "How's Roy?" as she put her arm around his waist.

He leaned back and brought her with him, her head automatically rested on his shoulder. "He's holding his own. The hospital has the number here and at Uncle Roy's, so they can call us if there's any change overnight." Suddenly, he was very tired and didn't want to move from the spot. He had been up for over forty hours at that point and the adrenaline and coffee he had been running on had worn off without warning.

C.J. closed her eyes as she said, "You should go be with Will. I don't think he should be alone if they call with bad news. I can manage BABY."

He shook his head and yawned, "I don't think I should drive right now. I can barely keep my eyes open." He rested his head on hers and brought his other arm across her, intertwining his fingers together. "I'll just get a quick nap then I'll go."

"Mmm, hmmm." Was all C.J. managed as she started to drift off to sleep again.

Houston whispered, "That's _my_ sweatshirt you're wearing."

"I _don't_ think it is." She replied just as softly, but he made no reply having fallen asleep. She opened one eye to peek at BABY's progress, then dozed off, too.

%%%%%%%%%

When Houston awoke, he found himself lying on the couch under the blanket, and BABY had been turned off. He looked at his watch; it was 5am. He could hear C.J. softly talking on the phone in her office. He grabbed his crutches, cursing the cast that he was going to remove himself if the doctor didn't do it for him at his next visit, stood up and went to the bar and saw that she had already made coffee. He poured himself a half a cup, then made his way into her office.

C.J. nodded a 'good morning' to him, then continued writing on her legal pad. "Okay. I will have my friend, Dr. LaMaster, call you, but… Yes, I understand time is of the essence… Would you be willing to fly out here? Okay, thank you."

Houston, perched on the counter behind her desk, was waiting for her to tell him what was happening, but she merely dialed the phone again. "So, what's…"

She silenced him with the 'just a moment' gesture, then spoke, "Hey, Doc. I just spoke with a Dr. Gurewich at Harvard, I want you to call him immediately, listen to what he is recommending then call me back and let me know if it sounds viable to you. From what he said we'd have to move on it very quickly. The number is 617-495-3238… Okay, thanks, Doc." As she hung up the phone, she closed her eyes, let out a breath and said a quick, silent prayer.

He ventured, "Can you tell me now?" He was still tired and his patience was a little thin, but he knew she was doing her best so tried not to let it show.

She turned her chair to face him, "There's a Harvard professor who has been working with a new treatment for stroke patients. His name is Dr. Gurewich. He said he's seen good things with his protocol but it's so new that many doctors haven't heard of it or if they have they haven't accepted it."

"What is it?" he asked. He was a little skeptical of a treatment that other doctors were unsure of, but the doctors at LA Medical felt like they had done everything they knew how to do, and didn't hold much hope that Uncle Roy would survive the next 48 hours. So what did they have to loose, really?

"It's called urokinase plasmogen activation." She looked at him and shrugged her shoulders, "That's why I want Doc to talk to him, she'll be a better judge of this than I will. Of course, we'll have to get Will to agree to the treatment if Doc says it sounds worthy of a try."

Houston nodded, "If Carol thinks it might work, I will convince him to give it a try." He didn't think it would be too hard to do.

C.J. scratched her forehead, "But how are we going to get him here from Boston on such short notice? Even by private jet it's at least 5 hours…"

He grinned a little, "Unless we get the Concorde to fly him." Houston would never spare any expense to help a friend or a loved one, and he considered his Uncle Roy both.

She grinned back at him, then grabbed the phone when it rang, "Hey, uh, huh… okay." She looked over at Houston and nodded, "Don't worry, Houston has a plan for that. Okay. Thanks, Doc." Then she hung up the phone and let out another long breath, she was elated at having a plan of action, but was also afraid to get her hopes up at the same time. "She said it sounds worth a try, but it's not something she can do, so we will need to fly him out here."

Houston thought a moment, then stood up, "You call Dr. Gurewich back and tell him to head to the airport, I will arrange for the flight." He started moving past the pool table to the door, "I'll go get Will and we'll head over to the hospital. I'm going to need you to arrange for a car to pick up the doctor." He went out the door then turned around and came back, to see C.J. with the phone in her hand, "Oh, and great job Ms. Parsons. I guess I'll let you wear _my_ sweatshirt for a little while longer."

She smiled at him then started dialing the phone.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A few days later the doctors at LA Medical were impressed with the results that Dr. Gurewich was able to get with his treatment. While Roy was stable and able to come off the ventilator, he needed a tracheotomy, because they were concerned about him aspirating and catching pneumonia. He was still sleeping most of the time, and due to the paralysis in his extremities and of his facial muscles, he couldn't hold a pen to write to communicate, but he was capable of blinking to answer yes/no questions.. He wasn't consistent enough to use squeezing a finger for a response, but the doctors felt that with time and physical and occupational therapy, he might be.

C.J. spent a lot of time on BABY looking for the best therapists for Roy, as well as researching rehabilitation facilities in all fifty states. She looked at a few in Europe, but Will said he didn't want his father to have to travel that far from home.

Houston and Will spent as much time with Roy as the doctors would allow each day. Roy had G-tube surgery because he was not going to be able to eat by mouth for quite a while. After a week and a half, the doctors moved Roy out of ICU and into a private room. This allowed them to stay much of the day with Roy, and they spent the time watching baseball games, reading books from his favorite authors, and they even figured out a way to play poker.

Once C.J. had narrowed down the list, they went to look at a couple of rehab facilities in the LA area, and one near San Diego. On the way back they stopped at Ted's Café in Escondido for lunch, and Will became very quiet. Houston ventured, "What did you think of the places we saw? I preferred the last one myself." He didn't really prefer it, but wanted to get the conversation going.

Will looked out the window and sighed, "I hate to think of Dad in any of those places. I just know he would rather be at home than a medical facility. But there's no way that would work. The stairs…" He waved his hands as if he were swatting all the reasons away like a swarm of pesky gnats. "All of it." He stood up, "I'm going to go get some fresh air." Then he walked out of the restaurant leaving Houston and C.J. sitting next to each other in silence.

Houston sighed, "I agree with him, but there's no way to do it at his house." Even if they set up a bed in the living room, getting up and down the stairs for a shower or getting him up and down the stairs outside so they could get him to doctor's appointments and all of the therapies that the doctors were saying he would need, would be a huge undertaking.

C.J. bit her lip, then asked, "What about out at the ranch?" Houston turned so that he had one elbow on the table and one on the back of his chair and looked at her in a way that meant he wanted her to continue. She wasn't sure why, but she thought she should proceed carefully. It was the whole 'family' thing and her not really being a part of his. She had noticed that even when people were unhappy with a family member, if someone outside the family said the same thing, even if they were agreeing with them, suddenly there was an argument. It was the 'I can say that, but you can't' thing that she wanted to avoid.

So, she began cautiously, "The room we stayed in when I had strep… It's on the first floor. I know the doorways would need to be widened, but if you put a special shower in, one like they have at the hospital, he could be rolled in for a shower. You could get a wheelchair in and out of the sliding glass doors easily enough. You'd only need to make minor adjustments so it could get over threshold. You could get round the clock nursing; the therapists could come out…" She trailed off because he had a blank look on his face.

He was dumbfounded that he hadn't even considered it and could tell she had put more than a passing thought into this idea, and finally had to say, "Go on" while he stole a couple of fries from her plate.

She gave him the look then continued, "Oh, well, I've been researching electric wheelchairs, the ones that the PT suggested that would work best for him. And there's a new communication device that they are trying with the physicist Stephen Hawking. It would let him say more than just yes/no. We could even…" She stopped abruptly because she suspected she had overstepped with the word 'we'.

He grinned a little, "Go on." And stole another fry from her plate.

She didn't bother to acknowledge it, instead tilted her head quickly, "One of the other guest rooms could be converted to a therapy room. I just think he would like it better out there." She looked out the window and saw Will pacing in front of the car. She felt bad for him having to make these kinds of decisions about his father's life.

Houston had leaned over and rested his chin on her shoulder, watching what she was watching, "I think those are _great_ ideas. I'm going to go ask Will what he thinks." He gave her a peck on the cheek, then stood up and left the restaurant.

The waitress came over with the check and C.J. remarked, "I guess I'm buying. Good thing they're cheap dates."

%%%%%%%%%%%%

By the beginning of August all of the construction had been finished, all of the arrangements for nursing and therapy had been made, the electric wheelchair arrived and would be delivered the next day, and they were expecting the computer techs to come to the ranch and set Roy up with the computer communicator shortly after that.

Roy was unsettled as they were moving him in the ambulance that evening, because they had decided to keep where he would be going a surprise. Even though Will assured him on the ride to the ranch it would be fine, he was dreading going to a nursing home. The smells alone were enough to make him want to run, but the thought of only getting visitors every other day or only on weekends if they were busy solving cases. He was really going to miss solving cases with his nephew and C.J.

When the ambulance doors opened and he saw where they were, he began to cry. Will hugged him, "It's okay, Dad. You should see your new room. You're going to love it."

When he saw the room set up with a special bed and he saw that the bathroom had been set up so he could be easily maneuvered; he started crying again. This time Houston hugged him, "This was _all_ C.J.'s idea."

Roy looked over at her standing in the doorway; she was trying to stay out of the way of the ambulance drivers. He slow blinked at her and she knew he meant 'thank you'. She smiled and said, "You're welcome. We have a few more surprises for you, but you get settled in and rest up. You have another big day tomorrow."

As they introduced him to his overnight nurse Lori, Houston saw C.J. walk away and then heard the door shut a minute later. Lori went to work making sure that Roy had what he needed, and then went over the chart with Will. Houston wandered outside using the cane he promised he would use when the doctor took off his cast and gave him a walking boot. He followed the sounds of her crying and found her leaning against one of the pillars of the car port. He dropped the cane and gathered her up in his arms, "Heeey, you did good. In fact, you did _great_. I don't know that we would have gotten him this far without all your hard work." He turned them so he was leaning against the wall.

She managed to say, "I'm sorry. I've just been…" Then she was overcome with emotion again like a broken dam flooding a downstream village.

He finished her thought for her, "Running so hard and holding it all back, that it's finally catching up to you?" She nodded and tried to choke back a sob. He kissed the side of her head, "Yeah, I was wondering about that. How have your dreams been?" He felt her shrug, "Have you found yourself outside?" She paused long enough that he knew the answer was 'yes'.

He pulled her back so he could look her in the eyes, wiping the tears off her cheeks, "Why don't you stay here tonight? Huh? We'll watch a movie with Uncle Roy. And I'm sure he'll be talking our ears off once he gets the hang of that communicator." She nodded, then he hugged her tightly again.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The next weeks fell into a pattern. C.J., who had only gone to her house a couple of times to get clothes and to water the plants, would be up early to speak with the night nurse about how Roy did that night. Then she would go out for her run and be back in time to make sure that the 7am shift change between the nurses happened smoothly, shower, dress and have breakfast with Houston and Will. After that she would go into the office, sometimes with Houston, sometimes separately, depending on if he needed someone to do field work with him, work all day, then be sure to be back to the ranch before the evening shift change occurred. She was always happy to help the nurses with anything they needed a hand with. She felt like she needed to know how to do everything, so that if a new nurse came on board, she could give them the little details of Roy's likes and dislikes that might not make it into the chart. Carol had also warned her that if a nurse didn't show up and the agency couldn't get someone to sub, then one of them would have to be able to do the job until the next shift happened.

Will would sometimes work with Houston and help with the new cases they picked up. None of them were dramatic, but that was just fine by Will. He had had enough of danger to last him a lifetime. The days that he stayed at Houston's place, he and Roy would watch movies or sit on the patio and listen to the baseball games. But he would disappear when it was time for Roy's therapies, or daily hygiene routines or even his feedings. When C.J. would come back to the ranch in the evenings and ask him how the therapies were going, he could only ever muster a 'they're going' and she would have to ask the nurse or consult the chart. Most of the time he didn't stay much past dinner time, before heading back to Roy's townhouse.

Roy worked hard at his therapies and was easily getting the hang of the communication device. He said that he liked the _"cool robot voice"_ much better than only being able to answer yes/no questions. He gave Houston advise on a case that he was working on during one of their evening chats, which brought him a feeling of normalcy and usefulness. Bo and Lamar would always stop in at some point during the day to see him and shoot the breeze; regaling him with their stories of ranching and ex-wives. He didn't like that he couldn't do much in the way of his own personal care but appreciated that, so far, all of the nurses had been caring and professional and didn't talk to him like he was incompetent, but like the intelligent man he still was.

Houston would do his laps in the pool in the morning, as part of his rehab for his leg, go into work and try to be back before Roy went to bed so he could pick his brain about a case. He tried to keep Will busy either with work or having him participate in Roy's therapies. Will was struggling with the whole situation, and Houston didn't want Will to have another episode that might cause him to want to jump off a building like he had before. C.J. had practically moved out to the ranch, which made Houston very happy.

He didn't think it was possible, but he was falling even more in love with her because of how she was handling everything. They worked together to get the chores done around the house. He wanted to hire someone, but C.J. was concerned about having another stranger in the house so soon after bringing Roy home. He acquiesced for the time being, but he was used to having lots of people working in and around a house. It was how he was raised; with cooks, maids, nannies, gardeners and the like.

He even managed a couple of times to talk her into sharing his bed if they had had a particularly hard day, under the pretense of "not having to worry about her falling down the stairs" if she had a bad dream. He knew he was hedging the truth and hoped she wouldn't be too mad when she figured it out. He only had one thing left he needed to do. Well, several things, but it was going to start with the important thing.

One evening they were all sitting on the patio, enjoying a nice dinner that Roy got to participate in in a round about way.

C.J. had been speaking with several nutritionists because she was concerned that Roy was losing too much weight muscle mass-wise. She had read the labels on the cans of liquid food and was concerned that they had too many oils in them. She got the doctors to agree to let her cook and puree "real food" with vitamin supplements to feed him via the G-tube, and if in a week or so he had gained too much or lost too much weight, then they would go back to the liquid foods. So far he was doing better and even the therapists noticed that he was able to do the exercises for longer; he had more strength and stamina. Roy was happy because he didn't feel left out when everyone else was eating whatever delicious food C.J. had whipped up or whatever take-out food they brought home.

Roy said, via the communicator, _"Thank you, C.J. It was another lovely dinner. I hope you all don't mind, but I'm a bit tired today, so I'm going to turn in."_

C.J. smiled, "You're welcome. Sleep well."

Lori said with a smile, "I guess that's my cue." Then she looked at C.J., "Thank you for dinner. It beats the leftovers I brought."

As Lori trailed behind Roy into the house, C.J. said, "No problem. Let me know if you need anything, I'm submitting that order for supplies tomorrow." Everyone really liked Lori. She was funny and energetic and knew her stuff; she was becoming a part of the family.

Once they were out of ear-shot, C.J. said, "I want to plan his birthday party. It's in a couple of weeks and I want to make it special." She thought if ever there was a time to celebrate that he had lived to see another birthday, this was certainly it.

Houston looked at her, "What'd ya' have in mind?" He wasn't sure a party was in order.

"Nothing big. Maybe have the Novellis come over, Hoyt and his family, Chris, Carol..." She wanted to keep it just to friends and family, nothing as big as the housewarming BBQ.

Will scratched his head, and hedged his answer, "Iiiii, don't know. He's not big on surprise parties, and I don't know if he wants people seeing him like this." The more he thought about it, he decided, "Let's not do a party."

C.J. felt a little struck. She thought it was a great idea and just what Roy could use. "Well, the party wouldn't have to be a _surprise_ party…" She looked over at Houston.

Houston knew that she meant well, but being a woman, she didn't understand how hard it was for men in Roy's condition. Especially men from his generation. Men were supposed to be strong, not vulnerable like Roy was. He didn't say anything, trying to figure out how to phrase it to her.

When she saw she had no support for her idea, she stood and picked up the plates and walked into the house. As she scraped the plates into the garbage, then set them in the sink, she tried to figure out where she went wrong. Roy wasn't anti-party. He was the one who suggested the one for Will, and was even the one who picked out the decorations and was hanging them up when they got the call about Will threatening to jump off a building. Just as she felt her emotions about to overwhelm her, Houston walked into the house carrying the rest of the dishes.

As he sat the plates on the counter, she busied herself with rinsing and putting them in the dishwasher, "C.J. the thing with a party..."

She shook her head, "No…" She shrugged and put another plate in the dishwasher, "If you guys think it's a stupid idea..."

He said softly but urgently, "Hey, no one said that." When she looked away from him, he moved so he was right next to her, then he turned her so she would look at him. He lifted her face up with his index finger and thumb and kept his voice soft, "No one said that…" Now he knew he needed to try and explain their reasons to her, "For men, we don't want to appear weak or vulnerable, so to have everyone here that he knows seeing him like that..."

She cut him off, completely dismayed, but she kept her voice soft too, "So he's not going to have visitors until he's all better? What if that doesn't happen? You're going to let him hide in his room for the rest of his life so no one will see him like that? The people who _know_ him and _love_ him won't care. They'll just want to celebrate the fact that he's here with us." She could see he was going to counter her argument, so she turned and rinsed another dish, then put it in the dishwasher. She suddenly felt the magnet pulling her towards him, needing to be with him intimately, which, in her estimation, was not helping the situation. She tried to shake it off by wiping the counter down.

He watched her as she finished the dishes, and wiped the counter. He was weighing what she said very carefully, when, in a rush, his desire to be one with her overcame him. He hadn't made a move toward her, but he knew she felt it, too. He could see the hairs on her arms and neck standing up, her breathing had changed. He reached over and touched her arm, "C.J., I..."

Will came into the kitchen with the glasses, while saying, "You know what? Let's go ask Dad what he would like. I feel like we're making all of these decisions for him and he really should at least make this one."

C.J. turned and caught Houston's gaze. The energy that passed between his hand and her arm was almost like fire. She managed to say, "I think that sounds like a good idea." While inwardly telling herself, _"You're imagining it, girl. He doesn't feel that way about you. __Never has. Never will.__" _

Houston wanted to kick his cousin's tail for breaking the spell, but said, "Yes. Let's go have him decide." He slid his hand down her arm and took her hand and led her to Roy's room, following behind Will.


	18. Chapter 18

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Much to the surprise of the guys, Roy said that he would like a small party with friends and family and even the doctors, nurses, and therapists that got him this far. C.J. set about planning it with input from him on food and the kind of cake. He said he wanted games and dancing; he didn't want people just sitting around staring at each other. Houston would get the Novelli clan a week before the party. It would give the kids a chance to visit with their friends, ride the horses, and have a nice get away before school started after Labor Day the following week.

Houston was set to fly out Thursday afternoon, stay Friday in Hawaii, then fly the family back on Saturday. He had gone to the office very early and went back to the ranch to get a few things before taking the helicopter to the airport. He walked over to the patio area to see Uncle Roy and C.J. sitting out in the shade of the trees next to one of the patio tables. C.J. had the syringe for the bolus feed in her hand and had just put water in and was allowing it to flow in naturally. The baseball game was on the radio. C.J. smiled when she saw him and it made his heart warm like it always did.

"Hey, there cowboy. All set for your trip?" She looked back at the empty syringe, disconnected it and closed the button. She adjusted Roy's shirt then picked up the containers that the food and water had been in, stood up and met Houston almost at the door to the house.

"_Yes, you want to get to the airport and do a __pre-flight__ check, don't you?"_ Roy asked via his communication device.

He nodded at Roy, "I do. I just needed to pick up a couple of things first." Then he lowered his voice and asked C.J., "Where's the nurse?"

She lowered her voice as well, "She called in sick and the agency couldn't get anyone to come out this far on such short notice. The night nurse couldn't stay because she had to get home for her kids."

"Where's Will?" He was hoping she would say he was inside. He was getting tired of his vanishing act.

She shrugged, "I don't know. He kinda disappeared this morning when we realized the nurse wasn't coming and I was getting Uncle Roy ready for the day." She saw the look on his face, so put up a halfhearted defense for Will, who had stayed the night at the ranch, "Maybe he forgot something at home?" She nodded toward Roy, "Can you sit with him while I go rinse this out?"

"Of course." He walked over and sat in the chair C.J. had just been sitting in. He asked, "So, C.J. got you ready for today all by herself, huh?" Knowing it meant that she had to change his adult diaper, dress him, and get him in his wheelchair without help from Will. Will bailing on C.J. was really pissing him off, but he was trying to remain calm.

Roy could see he was mad, but was honest with Houston._ "Yes, she handled it well. I wasn't happy about her having to do it, but she told me it needed to be done or I could get a rash or a skin infection and have to go back to the hospital." _

"She's right. No one wants you to get an infection." Houston said as calmly as he could.

Roy didn't mention that he was so emotional about it that it made him cry hard enough she had to suction his trache three times before he was finally able to calm down._ "Neither of us wanted that, so she told me to close my eyes and go to my 'happy place' and she would go to her 'happy place' and it would be over before we knew it. And she was right."_

He was struggling to remain calm, "I'm glad she was able to manage it without help from Will. We definitely don't want you to have to go back to the hospital; especially not before your party."

"_No, I don't want to miss my party. Matlock, don't be too mad at Will. This is hard for him." _Roy's blue eyes had pity in them.

Houston tapped the table with his index finger, "I know. But it's not easy for any of us." He was about to say more, but he saw C.J. through the sliding glass door, and wanted to speak to her. "We'll talk more about this later."

C.J. was walking back outside and Houston stood up and caught her before she got to the table. He hugged her tightly and said, "Thank you." Then he pulled back and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

She stroked his cheek and said with a smile, "You're welcome, but it's really no trouble at all. You'd better get a move on cowboy, you're going to want to have time to hit the beach and pick up some babe in a bikini before you have to fly back."

He grinned and shook his head, "Nah, I'm still on a break from all that. And when I get back, we'll have to have vespers in the hammock."

Still smiling she winked, "I look forward to it." Then she walked over and sat down with Roy, then opened up a folder and started reading the paperwork.

%%%%%%%%

Mama, Teresa and C.J. cooked all week for the party with some help from the Chris and Carol. They were going to serve anti-pasta, lasagna, pizzas, baked ziti, cannolis, and a homemade birthday cake. The Novelli boys helped out Houston, Bo and Lamar around the ranch and really enjoyed the horses. Vince hung out with Roy and talked about the therapies he had to go through while recovering from being shot, and retirement from the force. In the evenings, everyone but Houston, Roy and Will would disappear for about an hour, and none of them would say what they were doing. Houston had put all work at the office on hold until after he flew the Novellis home.

As for the sleeping arrangements, they decided that Vince and Teresa could take the last spare bedroom downstairs, they sat up a bed in the therapy room for Mama, and the kids were out in the bunk house under the supervision of Bo and Lamar. A little concerned about what Mama would say, C.J. stayed in her room, which was a bit of a disappointment to Houston. Will would go back to the townhouse in the evenings and managed to avoid having the "talk" with Houston all week.

On Friday night the party was in full swing. Everyone was enjoying the food and drinks. The adults who knew they wouldn't be driving home were taking full advantage of the open bar. The kids and some of the adults had picked teams and were playing corn-hole, and others were playing poker at one of the poolside tables. The doctors and nurses were talking with C.J. about the diet she had Roy on. Carol was bragging that her "Sis" was so smart she could have been a doctor if she had wanted to. The therapists and Ann Hoyt were talking with Teresa about what it's like to live in Hawaii. The guys were talking "shop" and comparing cases. Mama was buzzing about in the kitchen, refreshing the food on the buffet table, when C.J. went to get her.

The Novelli boys, Mama, Vince, Teresa, Carol, C.J., Ann and Michael and Kathy Hoyt, Bo, Lamar, Murray, and a couple of the nurses from the agency all went to the end of the pool by the carport. They had all donned fedoras, then Anthony Novelli took the mic from one of the nurses that they recruited to run the sound system, and said, "Uncle Roy this is our gift to you. We all worked together to do this. I hope you like it."

The song "Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars started playing and he danced his way over to the group. As he danced past Carol, C.J., and Mama, he highlighted each lady in turn when the song got to:

_This one for them hood girls, them good girls, straight masterpieces…_

Then he danced to the front and center at:

_Got chucks on with Saint Laurent, gotta kiss myself, I'm so pretty_

Everyone watching chuckled at that because of the exaggerated way he kissed his bicep. Then the group started a line dance as C.J. called out the moves. She had the biggest smile on her face. It made Uncle Roy comment, _"She certainly lives up to her middle name, doesn't she?"_

Houston smiled, "Joy. Caroline Joy. She certainly does." He was loving the outfit she was wearing, too. Jeans with high heels and a slouchy, black and white striped, long sleeved crop top that would slide off one shoulder or the other depending on how she was moving, showing off her lacy black bra straps.

Everyone was clapping and be-bopping along with the music and got a _big_ kick out of Hoyt, Vince, Murray, Bo and Lamar dancing up to the front and freestyle dancing when the song got to:

_Dance. Jump on it. If you sexy then flaunt it. If you freaky then own. Don't brag about it just show me._

When the song was done, the dancers went over to Roy and he said, _"That was the best birthday gift ever. Thank you for working so hard on that. Get back out there and show me some more of these new-fangled dance moves."_

So, everyone was dancing around the pool and the ladies really enjoyed dancing to Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine", which captured Houston's full attention. C.J. was dancing with the group of ladies, but she would look his way while singing along with the song.

_Any man of mine better be proud of me, even when I'm ugly he still better love me._

Then Lori started showing them the line dance moves she learned for the song. C.J. put her hands on her hips and did an exaggerated wiggle for:

_Any man of mine'll say it fits just right when last year's dress is just a little too tight_

And all the ladies tasseled their hair with the next line:

_And anything a I do or say better be OK when I have a bad hair day_

Not that Houston noticed what the other ladies were doing, because he was transfixed on C.J. and remained that way for the rest of the song.

After dancing to a few more songs, like the B-52's "Love Shack" and Prince's "Let's Go Crazy", she came over and sat between Uncle Roy and Houston. She was out of breath when she asked, "Are you enjoying your party, Uncle Roy?" Then she took a gulp of her white wine. She wasn't sure how many she had had so far, but didn't care because she was having a great time and wasn't going to be driving home anyway.

"_I am enjoying it very much. Thank you for putting so much work into it."_ His eyes were smiling.

She smiled back, "You are _very_ welcome." Then she looked over at Houston, "What about you cowboy? Are you havin' a good time?"

He put on a sad face, "Well, I tell ya' C.J. I'm a little disappointed you didn't invite me to 'dance, jump on it.' I'm a pretty good dancer, ya' know."

She reached over and patted his leg, "Awww! You're still rehabbing that leg. I didn't want you to injure yourself again 'flauntin' it." They both laughed and then clinked his beer bottle to her wine glass.

At that moment Houston saw Will going into the house and decided he was going to have that talk with his cousin. He stood up, leaned over and kissed C.J. on the cheek, "Excuse me a minute." Then he disappeared into the house.

A couple of minutes later, Mama came over and said, "Roy, you enjoyin' your party, ah? You lika da food? I know you no get to taste it really, but is no matter, right?"

Lori smiled at Roy then whispered, "I put a tiny bit of each dish on his tongue, but don't tell anyone." She knew if he had any problems, she could suction out his mouth, but he tolerated the teeny dots very well.

Mama nodded knowingly, then said, "Isa okay, you get througha da tube, it maka you strong." And she flexed her muscles.

"_I have enjoyed it very much, thank you. You are an amazing cook."_ Roy's eyes smiled.

Then Mama turned to C.J., "I think we ready for cake now. You go get Houston and Will. I saw dey go inna da house. I bring out da cake and put here in front of da birthday boy."

C.J. went looking for the guys and heard their raised voices in Roy's room. As she got to the doorway, she heard Houston bellowing, "…C.J.'s **not even family** and she's doing more for your father than you!"

Will, who spotted C.J., saw the hurt look, as if she had been slapped hard, cross her face. Houston turned to see what Will was looking at. C.J. managed to say, "It's time for cake" before turning and retreating outside as fast as she could.

Will looked at Houston, shook his head, then reprimanded, "I know you were trying to make a point with me, but did you have to punch C.J. in the heart to do it?"

Houston knew Will was right, and he felt terrible. He never intended to hurt her, and was going to go and apologize to C.J. right after they sang _Happy Birthday_ to Uncle Roy.

They both headed outside, everyone was gathered around Roy and started singing "Happy Birthday" and the look on C.J.'s face didn't go unnoticed by the people who knew her well. When the song was done, C.J. looked at the birthday boy and said, "Happy Birthday, Un… Roy." She managed a weak smile, then looked at Mama, "We forgot the forks. I'll go grab them."

Houston tried to snatch her arm as she walked past him, but she pulled away from him and kept walking. She stood in the kitchen trying to collect herself. His words echoed through her, _"…not even family…"_

Tony came in and asked hesitantly, "Are you okay, C.J.?"

She tried, and failed, to put on a happy face, "Yeah. Can you take the forks out? I need to use the bathroom."

He took the forks from her, "Sure. Are you sure you're okay?" It had been a while since they had seen each other, but he knew that he had never seen her with that look on her normally bright, smiling face.

She had tears in her eyes as she nodded and he went slowly out the sliding glass door. She spotted a bottle of tequila on the counter, grabbed it and went out the front door.

%%%%%%%%

Everyone enjoyed the rest of the party, and after a few more hours, the guests left and when it was down to close friends and family, everyone wanted to know what was wrong with C.J. Houston was over at one of the tables and had all but polished off a bottle of whiskey. He was inwardly berating himself for hurting her, again. He loved her so much and yet he always managed to hurt her. He had no excuses for himself, and he couldn't figure out how any words of apology would be enough. As the whiskey took full effect, it told him that maybe this would be the time she wouldn't forgive him and she would leave his life forever. What would he do then, the whiskey wanted to know.

Uncle Roy brought the Novellis up to speed on the last few months since Houston's broken engagement and almost wedding. There was a chorus of, "It's about time" when he told them Houston figured out C.J. was the one he loved all along. Then Will explained what had happened in the house, to a chorus of, "Really?" "Why would…" and eye rolling with whispers of "idiot" from the group.

Teresa decided that the boys didn't need to hear or see anymore that night, and sent them off to bed. They complained, but Bo and Lamar herded them out of the house and back to the bunkhouse. Ann decided it was time to get Kathy home, too. Michael said he would stay the night on the couch so he could support his friends and catch a ride home in the morning with someone.

Once they were gone, everyone agreed that Houston needed to stop drinking and go apologize to C.J. So, they went and told him just that. While he was distracted, because they were making him go inside to drink some coffee, Vince got the whiskey bottle away from him, and everyone else set about hiding all the other bottles of booze that were in the house.

While the others were trying to softball the situation to Houston; telling him it would be alright and he should just find her and apologize to her. Mama, on the other hand, wasn't having any of it. She pointed a finger at him and demanded, "You better go fix this, ah? Imma not gon to get more grandchildren cuz you idiota?"

Houston was very blurry eyed, and slurring his words, "Ssshe doesssn't wanna talk to me, Mama. I messed up bad." He was hoping she could forgive him, but the hurt he saw in her eyes was the worst he had ever seen. He couldn't stop kicking himself for doing that to her, his best friend.

Mama thought about it, then started taking off her apron, "You right. I go fix dis."

Vince was a little suspicious, "What are you going to say to her?" Sometimes her helping didn't.

She shook her finger at him, "Never youa mind." Then she beckoned to the women, "Teresa, Carol, Chris andiamo" Mama knew the women of the village needed to handle this.

Carol hesitantly said, "I don't think she's going to want a lot of people around her right now." She learned a long time ago that in situations like this, C.J. preferred not to be surrounded by people.

Mama stopped, thought about it, and nodded, "You right. I go. I fix." It was better to have a mother/daughter talk without extra people.

%%%%%%%%%

C.J. was sitting in a corner of the tack room on an old trunk with the bottle of tequila almost half empty in one hand, and a blank stare on her face. The tequila was hitting her in a way that whiskey and wine never did. Everything was clear, but slowed down, and she was pondering the scientific reasons why that would be. She always preferred to take her sorrows sober, but this was an interesting sensation. It also seemed to intensify all of the feelings she was having, but not to the point of overwhelming her, yet.

His words kept playing back in her mind and every time they stabbed her through the very core of her being. She whispered, "Not even family." From the time her parents died, and he and Bill had said they considered her family, she hung so much on that. More than she had ever realized. Even with her plan to cut ties with him before Elizabeth could do it, there was a part of her that held onto the fact that he, Will and Roy considered her family.

But had he ever? No, the tequila told her, it must have just been nice words to a lonely girl and he never cared at all; not even for a minute. She tried to argue with the tequila, but it seemed to be making some valid points that she wasn't thinking clearly enough to counter.

Mama stepped into the tack room, "C.J.? You inna here?" As she got to the center of the room, she turned to see C.J. She was struck by how sad she looked, "Aww, Cara Mia. What you drink, eh?" She sat down next to C.J. on the trunk, and gently took the bottle from C.J.'s hand. "Tequila? Oh, tha'sa no good for you. Grappa is better. Made from grapes, you know?"

C.J. slowly looked over at her and nodded her head. Then she shook her head, "No grappa to be found, Mama." Sadness was making its way to the forefront of all the emotions, as if they were in a foot race of some sort. And whether she knew it or not, tonight was going to be a marathon of emotions for her.

"C.J., I know why you sad. That Houston, aye!" She made the Italian gesture of putting thumbs to finger tips then bobbing the hands back and forth several times. "He's idiota. But you two…" She hesitated because she didn't want to say too much about Houston's feelings for her. He should do that himself. "Ehhh, you two... You appartenersi."

C.J. didn't know what that meant, but managed, "'Not even family'… Why did I think? 'Not even family'… I should have known. I'm so stupid…" before she broke down crying, and Mama held her and spoke comfortingly to her in Italian.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Mama reentered the kitchen about an hour later, declaring, "Is fixed." Sat the bottle of tequila on the counter, then she reached for her apron and walked to the sink and started washing the dishes.

Houston, who mysteriously hadn't been able to find any more alcohol in the house, eyed the tequila bottle, and asked suspiciously, "How did you fix it?" And he was wondering where C.J. was if it was "fixed".

She explained in a matter of fact manner, "Ah! She gon to move to Hawaii, marry Kai, and give me more grandchildren."

Vince was bemused at his mother's idea of fixing the problem, "Mama, how did that fix it?" He saw his wife roll her eyes.

She elaborated in a deadpan tone while she continued to wash the dishes "She move closer to Mama; I take care of her. She marry Kai, a good man. She give me more grandchildren. Is fixed." Then she looked at the women, "You imagine how beautiful their babies will be? Gli angeli dovrebbero avere figli cosi belli!"

Carol grinned and nodded, then retrieved something from the fridge and headed out the front door. She knew everyone would be drinking and came prepared to help everyone not to have too bad of a hangover the next morning.

Everyone watched her go, then turned to look at Roy, who was using his communication device. _"Rosa, how did that fix the problem for Mat__t__?"_ Roy asked.

She waggled her finger at the men, and in an affronted tone said, "I no fix for him. I fix for C.J. I fix for me." She looked right at Houston, and gestured again, "Quando sei un idiota devi risolvere i tuoi problemi."

Vince turned to Houston to translate, but Houston shook his head, "Yeah, I got the gist." He looked back over at the counter to see the bottle of tequila had disappeared. He sipped the coffee, thinking about what Mama said. One word stuck with him "idiota". Had he been? Was he?

A few minutes later Carol returned to the kitchen and loaded up another syringe with B-12. But before she had finished doing that, the whiskey wanted to know, "Does everyone here think I'm an idiot?"

The whiskey received a resounding "YES!" from everyone in the room. Then, unbidden, they all elaborated on their answers, everyone overlapping everyone else, "She's never…"_"If you hadn't been so busy dicking around…"_ "She's always loved…" "She makes you a better man…" "If you can't see that…"

Until Houston finally put his hands up in surrender, "Alright! Alright! I'm an idiot. But she's not going to forgive me this time." He noticed that Carol was rolling up his sleeve, and gave her a puzzled look.

Carol, who had the syringe with B-12, wiped his arm with an alcohol wipe, then stuck him in the arm with it, said softly, "She'll forgive you, because she loves you more than you'll _ever_ know. She couldn't stop now no matter how hard she tried. And she's tried. The question is, do _you_ love _her_ like that?"

He made no reply, but sat thinking about his answer. He did love her like that, but that had always frightened him. It was easier to keep her as a friend, than to fully surrender to his feelings for her. And what if she would reject him now? Could he take it? The whiskey knew he couldn't.

A few minutes later, they spotted C.J. out by the pool. She was staring into the water at the deep end, swaying gently. Then she slipped her shoes off, undid the button and zipper on her jeans, slid the jeans down her legs, removed them and stepped into the pool.

Will whispered to his dad, "Dinner and a show." Roy looked over at him and rolled his eyes.

Houston watched her making lazy underwater circles. Her high-cut satin panties accentuating her long, lean legs. He wanted her. He needed to be one with her, so he decided that he _had to_ talk to her. He had to get her to listen to him, so he staggered his way to the door, but Hoyt stopped him.

Hoyt put a hand on Houston's shoulder and implored him in a hushed tone, "Don't do it man. You're drunk, she's drunk. She's mad and hurt and you're remorseful. That is a situation that is prime for makin' a baby."

Houston made a face, "I'm just going to talk to her, not make a baby with her. At least not in the pool, anyway."

Hoyt rolled his eyes, "Yeah, that's what I thought too, but then nine months later Kathy was born. I'm tellin' ya' cowboy, wait until morning."

Will had walked over and added, "At least take a condom out there with you."

Houston shook his head then went out the door. He didn't realize that everyone went to the windows and open sliding glass doors and watched as he stood by the edge of the pool, down by the deep end where she was. "C.J., come on…" But she did a backwards somersault in the water. When she surfaced, he started again, "C.J…" She just did another backwards somersault. He started two more times then realized he was going to have to get in the water with her if he was going to get her to listen to him. He stripped down to his briefs, which left little to the imagination, and stepped into the pool.

The ladies all looked at each other and nodded and grinned as he stepped into the water. Carol, having looked at her watch, sighed and said, "Darn, I have to get going. Chris, let me know what happens." Chris nodded, but didn't look away from the story that was unfolding in the pool.

C.J. still went under water when he said anything to her, so he caught her wrists as she was about to do another backwards somersault. He pulled her to him and he put an arm around her waist. He had to practically wrestle her over to the side wall, furthest from the house, but he managed to catch her one leg between his legs, while holding her wrists to the wall. They were at a point in the pool where he could stand with his head above the water, but she could not.

Anger surged into the lead past sadness, and she seethed, "Let go of me!"

He was struggling to keep her in place without hurting her. "No. We need to talk."

She was still squirming, but the tequila coursing through her was hindering her efforts, and the B-12 shot Carol gave her hadn't fully kicked in. "I heard more than enough. Let go of me!"

"C.J., everyone agrees that I'm an idiot." He paused for a response but didn't get one so he implored, "I should never have said what I said. It's really _not_ how I feel. I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

She didn't believe him, but to appease him she snapped, "Fine. Let go of me." She was mad at how he kept her one leg from moving.

This wasn't exactly how he wanted to say it to her, but he felt that now was his moment, "C.J., I love you."

She stopped struggling, then shook her foggy head, "No." She couldn't believe he would stoop that low.

That was not the reaction he was expecting at all. "No?"

Sadness, hurt and despair all shoved to the front and she burst into tears, "No, you don't! You never have. You never will. No! I told you and you… you said _nothing_. You've said _nothing_. You were going to marry _her_. There's something about me that's wrong, and you've never loved me. Ever. No! Why are you doing this to me?"

To see the years of hurt he caused her, without even realizing it, spilling down her cheeks, broke his heart. He choked up and put his hands so they were holding her head so she would look at him. "Oh, C.J. I'm sorry. I _do_ love you."

She was trying to push him away, but he wasn't budging. All the tequila was making it hard for her to focus her thoughts, so they cascaded out, one on top of the other, just like her tears, "No. I'm not 'even family'. I'm nothing. You were going to marry her. I have no one. No. You don't love me. You'll never love me. I said it and you didn't. No. This is a joke. Let go of me…"

Everyone in the house was watching with rapt attention and didn't notice that Mama had gotten the broom and was about to head outside when Will stopped her. "What are you doing?"

She was going to handle this 'old country' style, "He makea my C.J. cry. Imma gonna give him da what for." Rosa was in no mood for Houston to hurt her C.J. any more than he already had.

Vince chimed in, "Ma, let them work it out. Remember? 'We don't interfere'." Which was something she had said to all of her children at one time or another when their siblings would be in squabbles with their significant others.

Rosa stopped, but went back over to the window to listen in case she was needed outside.

Back out at the pool, tears filled his eyes, "Oh, honey, I'm _so_ sorry. This is not a joke. I love you _so_ much. Please believe me. I love you."

Her energy was all but spent, "No. You love her, not me. Never me. If you had married her you wouldn't... I should have gone to Sydney. I should've... I want you to but you don't."

He pulled her into a hug and held her head to his shoulder with one hand and tightly around the waist with the other. He said softly and intensely, "I do, C.J. I love you. I'm _so_ sorry that I've hurt you. I love you. I love you." He said it over and over and she finely, tentatively, relaxed a bit and gingerly hugged him back.

"Please try to understand. Your love..." He struggled to find the right words, "I knew from the time we met that your love was... It was deeper… It was without strings… I didn't understand why or how you could love me like that."

She shook her head, sadness was slowly retreating, and held onto him, "It didn't matter since you never wanted that from me."

He moved her so he could look into her eyes, so she could see he wasn't lying, "But I did want that from you. I just never thought I deserved it. I've screwed up a lot of relationships and if we… I just knew I would lose you from my life when I screwed it up. I need you C.J."

It hit her that Carol was right, he did have her up on a pedestal all this time. She was puzzled, "I need you too, but why would you push my love away?"

He sighed, "Yes, we all agree I'm an idiot, but I do love you." Kissed her tentatively at first, then when he felt her kissing him back, he kissed her more passionately. He wrapped his arms around her and held her closely.

Everyone in the house either let out a sigh of relief or uttered a quiet, "Aww."

C.J. broke the kiss and breathlessly directed him, "Let go of my leg". He hesitated at first, but then let her leg go. As she wrapped her legs around him tightly, desire ran past all the other emotions and caught up with love. He moved them a little closer to the shallow end. As they continued to kiss ardently, she began to make slow, lazy circles with her hips. She felt his body respond and eased her hips back a bit so he had room to rise.

He paused and asked, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

She was a little surprised at the question given how they were wrapped around each other, "Yeah. And you?"

He growled, "Oh, yeah." He kissed her again and he let go of all of the barricades he had put up between them over the years.

They went back to making out, but she could hear the people in the house talking.

Hoyt sighed heavily, "I told him this situation is prime baby making fodder."

"Nah, they're just making out", Chris commented.

As Houston moved from C.J.'s lips, and trailed kisses to her neck; she whispered, "They're watching us. In the house, they're watching us."

He captured her mouth in another kiss and turned and walked them over to the other wall so that the nosy Nellies couldn't see. He broke the kiss to say, "You're wearing too many clothes." Then he helped her take off her shirt and he tossed it onto the pool deck.

Hoyt shook his head and let out a sigh, "Well, better start picking out colors for the nursery."

Roy stated, _"I like teal for a nursery color."_ Lori nodded in agreement.

Teresa said, "No, no. It's OK, it's like she's wearing a bikini" Then they saw C.J.'s bra go flying across the pool deck.

Hoyt looked at Roy, "I guess teal would work for a boy or a girl. Of course, he'll probably want it cowboy themed."

"_Yes, he probably will. I wonder which room they'll put the baby in? I guess the room C.J. is using."_ Roy surmised.

Mama added, "Forget da baby right now. We have wedding to plan!" And she clapped her hands together gleefully. Having had all boys, she couldn't wait to be mother of the bride.

Lori said under her breath, "I think they're about to have the wedding night right now" after hearing the moans of pleasure coming from the pool.

Will decided that he didn't want them to do something drunk that at least one of them might regret in the morning. He said, as he was stepping out of the door, "We better get them outta there." Then he shouted, "MATT! C.J.! Everybody out of the pool!"

The couple did not stop their amorous activities. Houston was not about to stop when he finally got to explore C.J. in a way he had been suppressing for months, if not years.

Chris was close on his heels and added, "Let's go C.J.! Everyone knows that sex in the water is terrible sex anyway."

C.J. broke the kiss and said with a grin, "Sorry, Cowboy, my chaperon's here." Chris had walked over to the shallow end and held up a pool towel so C.J could step up out of the pool without anyone in the house seeing her.

As he ran his hands over her body, Houston warned her, "I'm telling you right now, this frustrating make out session is not over."

She gave him a quick kiss, and leveled a very sexy look at him, "I sure hope not", then started to make her way over to Chris.

Houston commanded, "Will! Turn around!" Will rolled his eyes and turned around. Houston had forgotten about everyone in the house who was watching, but the men turned their backs out of respect for C.J. anyway.

As she stepped out of the pool, she slipped her panties off and kicked them over to Houston. He looked at them and groaned "SO close".

Chris hustled C.J. inside and up to her room. Will tossed Houston a towel, but Houston said, "I'm gonna need a minute or two."

Which made Will laugh, "Really, even with all that whiskey you drank? I figured…"

Houston grinned, "What can I say? She's _very_ exciting."

%%%%%

A little while later, C.J. had insisted on taking a shower after being in the pool. So, while C.J. was doing that, Chris went to her car to get her overnight bag. Houston spotted her going down the stairs and made his way across to C.J.'s room.

Houston walked over to the open bathroom door and could almost see C.J. through the steamy shower stall door with her back to him, "I don't see any tan lines there C.J." He took his old college sweatshirt off and tossed it on the floor in the corner of the room.

She grinned and asked, "And you don't know how that happens?" Then she unashamedly turned around to look him in the eyes, he briefly held her intense gaze, but his eyes were soon roving over what he could see of the rest of her body through the steamed-up glass.

He took off his T-shirt and then started taking off his pants while saying, "Oh, I know how, I want to know when and where." He didn't think their first time would be in the shower, but at this moment he didn't care. He needed to be one with her.

Chris startled him when she said loudly, "And she's NOT going to tell you when and where because you and your raging boner will block her sun."

They were both shocked and yelled "CHRIS!" simultaneously. C.J. began to giggle and went back to rinsing the conditioner out of her hair.

Will had heard the raised voices and went in and helped to steer Houston out of the room. Houston implored Chris as he was stepping into the hallway, "Promise you won't leave her alone tonight." He was worried that after such an emotional evening it might bring on a night terror. "And make her drink plenty of water. I'll send up a cot."

She waved him off, "No, it's fine; C.J. and I can share a bed…" The guys both stop dead. Chris was puzzled for a moment then made a disgusted noise, "Uuuch! You guys! Yeah, we're going to have a naked pillow fight." As she was shutting the door she added drolly, "So put that image in your spank banks and leave."

After C.J. dressed in her pjs, dried her hair, drank another glass of water, and got in bed, Chris commented, "I have to say I didn't think I'd be seeing my bosses making out in the pool tonight. What changed?"

C.J. sighed and smiled, "He told me he loves me." He would never really know how much that meant to her.

Chris began, "Aww! I'm happy for the both of you. And it's about damn time he told you. It's been like five months."

C.J. was confused, "Five months? No, just tonight…"

Chris contended, "Nooo. He's been in love with you for the past five months, he just didn't tell you. I thought seeing you with Kai would have gotten him in gear, but…"

What was left of the tequila was hindering her thoughts, "But that was when he came back from his trip…"

She groaned, "You seriously didn't notice how he made every excuse to get as physically close to you as he could? How he hasn't had even _one_ date? How _no_ other woman turned his head? And how many times did he get you share a bed with him?"

It still wasn't making sense, "I just thought…"

Chris was amused at how someone so smart could be so clueless. "Go to sleep, C.J."


	19. Chapter 19

The school year is getting busy, so it took longer than I wanted to get this chapter out. Hope you enjoy it and thanks again for all the feedback. :)

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

The next morning, C.J. awoke at her normal 5am time. She wasn't feeling too terrible considering all the wine and tequila she had to drink the night before, but she was not going to go for a run. She was still kind of woozy. She looked over and couldn't remember why Chris was in her bed, but figured she had had too much to drink too, and decided to spend the night. As she brushed her teeth, and then drank a glass of water, she tried to remember exactly what had happened the night before. Bits and pieces came back to her. She remembered having fun dancing. She remembered what Houston had said to Will and how upsetting that was. She recalled taking the tequila bottle out to the barn.

Everything else was either vague or must have been a dream. As she brushed her hair, she knew Mama talking her into moving to Hawaii and marrying Kai actually happened. She knew she was in the pool, but… Did she dream that Houston said he loved her? It must have been a dream, right? And did they make out hard in the pool and then he saw her naked in the shower? While he was undressing? Nah! That _had to be_ a dream. She made up her mind she was never drinking straight tequila again.

She quietly dressed in jeans and was about to put on a t-shirt, but then spotted his sweatshirt in the corner. How did that get there? Maybe he _was_ in her room, because the last time she saw it was at the office when she tossed it, and some of their other clothes, in the washer. He was the one to finish off that load of laundry. And if he was in her room, what else wasn't a dream? She threw on a black camisole, his sweatshirt, and some socks then headed downstairs.

She went to Roy's room, like she always did, saw that he was asleep, and asked Lori softly, "How did the birthday boy sleep?"

Lori quietly replied, "He slept well. I had to give him some extra antacid. She's a great cook, but it was a little more garlic than he's used to." She then smiled slyly, "How did you sleep? That was quite a show you put on."

C.J. was confused, "You mean the dancing?" Her gut was telling her Lori didn't mean the dancing.

Not wanting to wake Roy, Lori stood up and put the charting binder on the brown, leather recliner that had been purchased for the nurses and led C.J. to the kitchen, since Will and Hoyt were sleeping on the couches in the living room. She said softly, "Nooo, I mean after that. The show you and Houston put on in the pool." Then it dawned on her the amount of tequila Mama said C.J. had had to drink, "Or did you forget?"

C.J.'s mind raced and she inquired tensely, "I didn't dream that?"

"No, it was quite real." Lori assured her.

"What happened exactly?" C.J. wanted to hear it from someone who hadn't imbibed as much as she had last night.

Lori replied earnestly, "Well, I couldn't hear every word, but you were mad, he apologized, you were still mad, and then he said something that made you bawl."

She inwardly cringed at the word "bawl", it was a word that meant she had lost control of her emotions, not something she ever liked to do. She brushed it aside because she needed the facts, "Did you hear what it was that he said?"

"I believe he told you he loves you. You were still upset, but you eventually calmed down and then…" Lori told her hesitantly.

C.J. was on tenterhooks, her eyes were wide hoping that she wouldn't say it. "And then?" They could _not_ have made out with all those people watching.

She continued cautiously, "There was a lot of kissing and then your shirt and bra were thrown onto the pool deck. Will and Chris finally put a stop to it." She watched the look on C.J.'s stunned face. "I guess they didn't want either of you to regret anything this morning. Looks like that was a wise decision, huh?"

Before she could reply, the sliding glass door opened and Bo stepped in, then closed it behind him. He said softly, "Mornin'. Boss man up yet?"

C.J. shook her head, "I don't think so." And she really didn't want to wake him up either. She needed time to think and strategize before she spoke to him again.

Bo hesitated, "Well, some of the cattle got out 'bout an hour ago 'n' we could use an extra hand wranglin' 'em up. Them yung 'uns ain't much for stirrin' at this hour."

She shook off the thoughts of what had happened in the pool and offered, "I can help. I'll get my boots on and meet you at the barn." She could tell by the way he was talking to her that he must not have witnessed what happened in the pool, because he would have teased her if he had.

"Thanks. I'll go saddle up Calamity for ya'." Then he went back out the way he came in.

Lori smiled wryly, "Calamity? Are you sure you want to ride a horse named Calamity?"

C.J. chuckled, "What could go wrong?" Then she headed over to the closet in the foyer and retrieved her boots.

%%%%%%

A couple of hours later, Bo and Lamar walked into the kitchen and said good morning to the crew sitting around the table eating breakfast. Everyone was chatting, and joking around with each other. The adults didn't bring up the subject of what happened in the pool because they didn't want to have to explain any of it to the children.

When one of the boys asked Houston if he apologized to C.J. He merely stated, "I did apologize, but I'm not sure she'll remember it this morning, so I'll have to do it again." Vince and Hoyt let out snorts of derision, and Teresa shot them a look that stopped them short.

Mama looked at Bo and Lamar and complained, "You boys worka too hard. You sit down an' eat, ah?" She started to fill plates with scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes. Teresa stopped and poured them each a cup of coffee, the went back to blending Roy's breakfast like she had witnessed C.J doing during the week.

"Thank ya', mam." Lamar said to Rosa, then looked at Houston, "Houston, C.J.'s horse pulled up lame out in the field. Which vet do ya' want us to call? Rickson is closer, but Myers is better with Calamity."

Houston, who had gotten to know Calamity sufficiently, stood up and replied, "Call Myers. I'll go hitch up the trailer." She was skittish enough when she wasn't hurt, he didn't want to exacerbate her injury with a vet she wasn't comfortable with. Then he took a last swallow of his coffee, "Where's she at?"

Lamar replied after swallowing some eggs, "We were about 500 yards off of the main road. She was gonna walk her over that way." He was going to have C.J. ride back, while he took care of Calamity, but she wouldn't hear of it.

Houston asked, "You get them cattle back in?" Lori had told Houston what happened when he went to check on the still sleeping Uncle Roy after he meandered downstairs, following the smell of coffee and bacon.

"Sure did." Bo said as he scarfed another piece of bacon. "That C.J. sure would make a fine cattle woman, if'in she ever wanted to give up the lawyerin' business."

Tony smiled and stood up, "Can I go with you?" He loved hanging out with Houston, and he felt like he was getting to be a pretty good horseman since they had been here.

Houston shook his head, "Not this time partner." He needed to talk to C.J. alone, because Lori had also clued him into the fact that C.J.'s memory of last night wasn't as clear as his was. Houston then headed out the door after putting his boots on.

%%%%%%

As he was hitching up the trailer to the pick-up, Will came out with a silver thermos and something wrapped in foil. "Hey, Mama wants you to take this out with you." Then he imitated her, "Shea need to eat ifa she gonna givea me strong grandbabies."

Houston grinned, "Go ahead and set them in the truck." If C.J. didn't remember much about last night, grandbabies weren't going to happen any time soon.

After he did that, Will began, "Listen, cuz, sorry I interrupted you last night as you were about to bang C.J."

Houston stood up and rebuked him, "I wasn't about to '_bang_ C.J.'"

Will knew what he witnessed and sneered, "Reeeally? What were you about to do?" He couldn't wait to hear this answer.

Houston explained calmly, "You interrupted me when I was about to have an '_intense_ religious experience' with the woman I love, my future wife and mother of my future children."

Will chortled, "So you heard that conversation with Kai, did you?"

Houston smiled and shrugged in a noncommittal way, "I… I may have caught part of it." As he walked to the door of the truck he added, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go finish what I started last night."

%%%%%%%

C.J. was glad that one of the gates to the main road was nearby; poor Calamity, a pretty, tan palomino, wouldn't have been able to go much further on her bum foreleg. Once she had tied the reins to the fence, she started taking off Calamity's saddle and blankets. It was getting warmer, so C.J. took off the sweatshirt and tied it around her waist.

While she waited for Bo to come back, she mindlessly stroked Calamity's neck and thought about what Lori had said and tried to jog her own memory of the night's events. She was having mixed emotions. The part of her that was mostly sober when Houston said what he said was still hurt by his words. The part of her that could only vaguely remember him telling her that he loves her was cautiously elated. And she wanted to resolve her feelings before she spoke to him again. She didn't want to be a crying, emotional mess like she was pretty sure she remembered being in the pool.

She heard the truck coming down the road and held the bridle so Calamity wouldn't move too much and hurt her leg more. When C.J. saw Houston was the one driving the pick-up, she silently cursed the fact that she had run out of time faster than she thought. She went over and picked up the saddle, hoisting it onto her shoulder, and started walking toward the truck. She could tell by the grin on his face that he hadn't forgotten a thing about last night; which lead to more silent cursing.

He couldn't stop himself from smiling at her, and could see she was not exactly happy to see him, but not mad about it either. He wanted to put her at ease, "Good mornin', C.J. I heard Calamity pulled up lame." He moved to the back of the truck to open the tailgate.

"Yeah, I think she stepped in a gopher hole, poor girl." She handed over the saddle to him while saying, "Good thing I learned how to fall off a horse."

He was suddenly concerned, "They didn't tell me you fell. Are ya' alright? Hurt anywhere?" He looked her over quickly, assessing if she was favoring any of her limbs.

She grinned, then turned to go get Calamity, "I'm fine. Maybe just a bit dusty."

He mused as she walked away, "That's my sweatshirt you're wearing." He was loving how it accentuated her waistline and draped over her hips.

She turned her head toward him a bit, "Technically, I'm not wearing it, _and_ I found it in my room, so I don't think it's yours." As she walked Calamity to the back of the trailer, she still didn't know how to feel or what to say.

Houston let an easy grin play across his face as he took the reins from her, and let her know, "Mama sent some food and coffee along. Why doncha go ahead and eat." She nodded and walked to the front of the truck.

When he was finished getting Calamity settled, he closed the trailer, and walked back to the tailgate. C.J. was sitting on it while she was eating her bacon, egg, and toast sandwich. She took a small bite, sat the sandwich down on the foil, then sipped the coffee. He could see she looked a little ill. "You okay there? You look a little green."

She exhaled slowly, trying to will away the sudden nausea. "Hmm, yeah. I don't think I drank enough water last night or this morning." She was avoiding his gaze.

"Well, take another sip of that coffee." He watched as she did, then decided to jump right in, "So, I heard you don't remember too much about what happened in the pool last night."

She paused mid-sip at his abruptness, then she finished sipping, and looked into the cup. She told herself, _"He's been your friend for a very long time, just look at him and be honest."_ She cleared her throat, then looked into his warm eyes, "I thought I must have dreamt some of it. The part in the pool, anyway."

He stepped a little closer to her, "Well, then let me say again that I'm _sorry_ for what I said. I was so mad at Will for not stepping up where his father was concerned…" He didn't want to say the words again and risk seeing that hurt in her eyes. "It's not how I feel, or how I have ever felt. I hope that you know I do consider you family, I really do." He could tell she was almost holding her breath, so he reached over and stroked her cheek with his thumb, then continued, "Can you forgive me or have I done irreparable damage to what we have?"

A tear escaped her eye and trickled down her cheek, "Of course, I can forgive you." She felt like she needed to add, "It hurt though. It really hurt."

He reached over and wiped the tear off of her cheek, then stroked her hair, "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, because _I love you_." He saw the tiniest of flinches cross her face and body. "And yes, I did tell you last night in the pool that I love you. I didn't say it because I was drunk. I said it because it's true."

She was stymied. She put the side of her hand to her mouth. The part of her that had always hoped that he would love her was in fierce competition with the part of her that wouldn't, couldn't, let her hope that much. He had been engaged twice. Once, even after she had put her cards on the table and told him that she loved him. She ignored the magnet pulling her towards him, sat her cup of coffee down and managed to softly inquire, "Why… Why now?"

He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, then leaned back to look her in the eyes. "I think I've always loved you. But, as it was pointed out to me last night, by quite literally everyone, even the children, I'm an idiot." That made her chuckle, so he grinned, "And this idiot hopes that you love him." It was his turn to hold his breath.

She smiled and confessed sincerely, "I do love you. I do. I always have." He leaned down for a kiss that was tentative and tender at first. As she slid off the tailgate and stood up, he wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck. The electricity that was between them, the one that she had been denying, surged quickly and almost overwhelmed her. She always knew, from that first time they kissed long ago, that it would feel like this if they ever gave themselves over to love.

He felt the surge again too and after several minutes of interjecting "I love you" between passionate kisses, he started to move them into the truck bed. She stopped him and said seriously, "Matlock Houston, our first time will NOT be in a vehicle. _And_ not with everyone watching on the security cameras." She looked over his should towards the camera.

He looked over his shoulder at the camera, he was going to say they didn't know how to work them, but then remembered he had shown everyone how to check who was at the gates. He grinned, then imitated Fran from the night in the motel, "Iss nah weeeird. Iss time honored traDItion."

She laughed and shook her head, "Isss not gonna happen." She kissed him again. She wanted him, but not if a crowd of people were watching.

He stopped the kiss and asked, "So not for the first time, but it's not out of the question for subsequent times?" She waggled her eyebrows at him and started to kiss him again but he pulled away, "Come on. Let's get back to the house and do this thing properly then."

She was astonished by his brazenness. Her smile was broad as she told him, "Nooo, there are _too_ many people in the house who'll know what we're up to." Not to mention this whole 'I love you' thing coming from him was still not fully believable to her.

Houston was disappointed, but made his case, "They won't care. They'll be happy we finally got together."

She shook her head, then put her hands on her hips, "You're flying the Novelli's back home tomorrow, then you'll be back on Monday. I think we can hold off until then."

Houston looked dejected, "Maybe you can." He couldn't believe he'd gotten this far to have to wait another two days to consummate their love. At that moment, he decided he was going to let his lips do the seducing. He stepped over to her, locked lips with her and kissed her so that she went a bit weak in the knees. She had to put her arms around his waist to steady herself.

He stopped kissing her and looked her in the eyes, "C.J., I love you so much." Then he saw that subtle flinch again. He was about to say something when the CB-radio squawked, "Cowboy1, the vet is here, what's your ETA?"

She released him from her embrace and he trudged to the cab of the truck. She grabbed her sandwich and coffee off the tailgate, and she could have sworn she heard him mumbling something about "…being cock-blocked at every turn…"

%%%%%%%

It was a quiet ride back to the barn. C.J. was still trying to process it all and Houston was giving her the space to do it. When they returned to the barn, before they got out of the truck Houston gently directed, "C.J. look at me." When she looked over at him, he said, "I love you." And he saw that little flinch again.

She smiled and said, "I love you, too." He leaned over and she met him halfway and they kissed again, more tenderly this time.

After they hopped out of the truck, Houston helped the vet unload Calamity, while C.J. went back into the barn and got the wheelbarrow to make sure that Calamity's stall was cleaned and fresh straw was down. When she was done with that she went over to Calamity, who was tethered so that she was standing in the middle of the barn while the vet checked her over, and presented her with a small bowl she had filled with molasses, one of Calamity's favorite treats. While stroking Calamity's cheek, C.J. crooned softly, "There ya' go, girl. You did a great job today. You just stay calm while the doctor fixes you up." Calamity nodded her head. C.J. was suddenly missing her Nutmeg. Nutmeg loved molasses, too.

Houston looked up from watching Dr. Myers, and saw the look on C.J.'s face. He walked over to her and put his arm around her waist, then whispered in her ear, "Missing Nutmeg?" She leaned into him while she nodded. He gave her a kiss on the side of the head. "I think Calamity likes you. When you're ready, she can be yours if you'd like."

C.J. wasn't sure if she'd ever be ready again, but Calamity seemed to be bonding with her better than with Bo and Lamar. She sighed, "I'll think about it."

He kissed her on the side of the head again and told her, "I love you." And it was there again, that little flinch that was most prominent in C.J.'s neck. He couldn't figure out why she would react that way, and decided he would talk with her after Dr. Myers left, before they went back into the house to face the music from everyone.

She looked into his eyes and said, "I love you, too." She loved to hear him say it, but unbeknownst to her, it startled her a bit each time.

By the time Dr. Myers wrapped Calamity's leg, and recommended box rest as well as either ice or a kaolin poultice, for a couple of weeks, then some light walking to start, Bo and Lamar had come out to the barn. This was the type of injury they had dealt with a lot during their decades of being ranch hands.

After the doctor left and Calamity was back in her stall, Houston said to Bo and Lamar, "Why don't you boys give us a minute?" And he motioned them out of the barn.

C.J. was just closing the stall door and realized she was the one Houston wanted a minute with. And for some reason she couldn't fully explain, it made her nervous. It didn't make sense, because she had been alone with him countless times over the years, but that was before he had said the L-word to her. Now there were possibilities. Possibilities that were exciting and terrifying all at the same time. She froze in place, her hands up on the stall door, looking at Calamity munching on fresh hay.

Then she felt him standing next to her, putting his arms around her, resting his forehead on her head. The heat and electricity from the magnet pull that was passing through them was enough to make her close her eyes and her breathing to shallow. The smell of his cologne, the leather from the saddles and bridles, and the fresh hay were all more intoxicating to her than the tequila was last night. In this moment, if he made the move, she wouldn't stop what would happen. What she hadn't allowed herself to dream could ever happen.

Houston was feeling it, too. But he really wanted to ask her about that subtle flinch, so he rasped, "C.J." and when she turned her head and looked him in the eyes, he was thunderstruck at how connected they already were and how much he needed to complete that connection. So, he captured her mouth in a kiss and she turned and encircled his waist with her arms, but only for a few moments before she decided wasn't going to wait for him to make the move. She ran her hands up his muscular chest and started to unbutton his shirt.

Suddenly a chorus of, "Uncle Houston! Can we go for a ride?" rang out and the sound of lots of footsteps running toward the barn came with it.

C.J. pulled back with a smirk on her face, and quietly declared, "You really _are_ being cock-blocked at every turn today, aren't you?"

He glowered and grumbled, "And don't I know it." Although he could still feel the energy passing between them, he released her and turned to greet the boys.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

When she stepped through the front door everyone was pretending to be engrossed in conversation, but she could see the security cameras on the tv. She shook her head, and decided to just go to the kitchen to rinse out the thermos.

The ladies followed her into the kitchen and the guys dashed out the door to go talk to Houston. Thea, one of the weekend day-nurses, looked at Roy and asked, "Which group are you going to go with?"

He replied, _"I think I would rather hear C.J.'s side of the story."_ Then, using the joy stick, he turned his wheelchair around and headed for the kitchen.

After C.J. silently rinsed out the thermos and sat it on a towel to dry, she turned to look at the ladies sitting at the table and Uncle Roy all waiting anxiously for her to say something. She shook her head at them, "What do you want to know? You saw everything on the security camera."

Chris said, "Yeah, but we didn't hear anything. What did he say?" Then she added wistfully, "It looked _very_ romantic."

C.J. chuckled and grinned broadly at Chris' truly incurable romantic side, "He apologized for what he had said, then…" She still wasn't sure if she really believed it herself, so hesitated in finishing the rest of the sentence.

"Theennn? Don't leave us hanging!" Teresa pleaded.

"Theenn… He told me he loves me." C.J. tried to say it matter-of-factly, but finished with a smile.

Roy was a little startled by all of the squeals of delight and clapping from the women, since they had all heard Houston say it to her last night. But he wanted to join in, so through his communication device added his, _"Eeeeeeeee"_ to the chorus. The device said it in its usual monotone fashion, which made everyone laugh.

Mama went over to her and kissed her on both cheeks, then exclaimed, "You are gonna makea sucha beautiful bride." Then she took C.J. by the hand and led her to the table, "Now, we plan da wedding."

C.J. just laughed, "Mama, he just told me he loves me. He didn't ask me to marry him." As she was guided to sit down in the chair Mama had just occupied.

Mama paused and thought about that, "We plan anyway. It only matter of time. I told you – appartenersi."

Chris inquired, "What does that mean?"

Teresa translated, "It means 'belong together'."

Chris sighed, "Awwww, they do." C.J. rolled her eyes at Chris. Chris defended her statement, "But you do. Surely you can see that?"

Before C.J. could answer Roy chimed in, _"I think a December wedding would be nice."_ C.J. just stared at him, so he continued, _"Unless you would rather be a June bride, but I don't know if they make maternity wedding dresses."_

Everyone started chiming in about wedding venues, dresses, cakes, and the like and talking about baby showers, leaving C.J. completely dumbfounded for the next hour. Then Hoyt came in and asked Chris for a ride home, while giving C.J. a knowing smile.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

That evening, after a delicious meal of Ossobuco with a cheese risotto, everyone retired early. The plan was to get up around 4:30am to get everything loaded into the limos then drive to the airport. Houston would take the chopper so that he could get his flight plan submitted and the plane checked over before the Novellis arrived for the 5-hour plus flight to Hawaii.

That afternoon C.J. and Houston barely had two minutes alone at any point, always being pulled away by some event going on in the house or barn. C.J. could tell Houston was getting rather frustrated and decided to throw him a bone. Once everyone had gone to their rooms, she slipped quietly down the walkway between her bedroom and Houston's, and entered his room. She could hear the shower running and smiled to herself.

She was wearing his sweatshirt, and quietly slipped off her sweatpants and put them on the chair in the corner. She lit the candles that he had around the room, and pulled the bed covers back. She was altogether extremely excited and extremely nervous when she heard the shower shut off. This was a huge step for them and she was hoping it was the right one. She was standing by the side of the bed closest to the bathroom door, when one of her earrings fell to the floor. "Oop." She exclaimed quietly and bent down to pick it up.

Houston heard the noise, wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped over to the door to see who had made the noise. He was surprised to see her in essentially the same outfit and position he had found her in a little over five months ago in his condo. Only this time he knew it would end differently.

He said bemusedly, "That's my sweatshirt you're wearing." He noted that he hadn't lit candles before he went for his shower, and he knew this would be the night he had been longing for. He just had to keep his cool, so he didn't finish before they started.

This time she stood up slowly, arching her back a bit as she did so. She looked into his eyes, crinkled her nose and shook her head, "I really don't think it is."

He was rooted to the spot taking it all in, then he queried in a low, husky tone, "Thought you said it wasn't going to happen with a house full of people."

She opened her eyes widely and gave him an innocent look, "Well, I…" She pointed to the door, "I could go if you want me to." And she took a step in that direction.

He stepped towards her quickly before she had a chance to take another step, his voice went up a bit before returning to its husky tone, "No, no. Since you're already here… Might as well make the best of it."

She grinned as she reached up to put her arms around his neck, "Make the best of it? How ever will you manage?"

He kissed her, then murmured, "Not sure, but I _will_ need your help." He then kissed her again and quickly deepened the kiss. His hands roamed up under the sweatshirt and he was happy to find that she really didn't have anything on underneath it. He broke the kiss long enough to tell her, "Once again, you're wearing too many clothes." Then he lifted it up and over her head before returning to kissing her.

She tried not to let herself get into her own head or she knew she would become overwhelmed, and she didn't want this to stop. She had wanted him for a long time and now that she knew he not only wanted her, but loved her, she wasn't going to let that happen. She slid her hands down his torso and undid the towel.

From there things moved rather quickly. They were on the bed, and he began kissing her neck as they both murmured "I love you" between ragged breaths. Shortly after that her legs were wrapped around him, and he was trying to memorize every single second and sensation as they raced to the summit. The experience was far more powerful than with any other woman he had ever been with, becoming one with her almost overwhelmed him. He could tell she was almost there, but then she started to resist going over the edge. She was beginning to quiver and tears were sliding from her eyes. Between ragged breaths he implored softly into her ear, "Let it go, C.J. I love you so much. I'll never leave you." That was all it took. She went over the edge and he followed moments after that.

The two lovers were out of breath. C.J. was trembling all over, with tears trickling from her eyes. Houston was gently kissing her tears away. She tried to speak, "I… I… didn't…" She shook her head and tried to start again, "Nnnnn… wa… mmm… I… not…"

He was getting a little concerned that she was still trembling and not able to form a coherent sentence, so he said, "You can keep the sweatshirt." Her trembling turned into a fit of giggles, and he giggled along with her.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A few minutes before, in Roy's room, Judy, one of the weekend night-nurses, looked up to the ceiling, then looked at Roy. "Is that what I think it is?" The unmistakable sound of bed-springs squeaking during coitus along with barely audible moans could be heard.

Roy looked at the ceiling and listened, then replied, _"I think so. It's about time, too."_

Judy agreed, "Mmm hmm." She hadn't been there that often, but she was convinced a blind man could see that those two belonged together.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Back up in Houston's room, they were snuggled together under the sheets, C.J.'s head on Houston's chest. He kissed her on the head and asked, "What were you trying to say before?"

She let out a long slow breath, "I didn't expect it to be _that_ intense." Her heart was still racing a bit.

"Really?" He mused, "Because I didn't expect anything less." He wasn't going to tell her what he had overheard Kai telling Will. He knew better than to bring up former lovers while in bed with someone. He wasn't _that_ big of an idiot. When she didn't say anything for a few minutes he asked, "Are you okay?"

She silently nodded. She couldn't believe that this was real. And if it was a dream, she didn't want to ever wake up from it. She was a little surprised that he wasn't feeling as awkward as she was; naked and curled up against him.

He decided to ask her that question he had on his mind since this morning. He moved them so she was on her back and he was on his side looking at her. He gently placed his fingers on her neck, just above the collar bone on the right side, then he told her, "I love you." And the subtle flinch was there and it felt more pronounced than it looked. Before she could reply he asked in a gentle, non-accusatory tone, "Why do you flinch when I tell you I love you?"

She looked puzzled, "Do I?" He nodded, "I didn't realize I did." She thought of why that might be, "I guess…" She gave it a little more thought, "I have heard you say you love a lot of things and people. Your daddy, the Oilers, your horses, your frog, not to mention all of the various women over the years. But…" She was trying to stay rational and not become emotional, so she started fiddling with the edge of the sheet. "Never once did you use that word about me or to me. Even after I told you in the warehouse that I loved you…" She shrugged, "So I just figured I wasn't…"

She took a breath, and he listened to every word spoken and unspoken, "Anyone you would ever… could ever love. Your actions said you cared about me, but… The words mattered, too." She looked away from him, "And I supposed that whatever it was that they had that made you love them enough to say it; I must be _greatly_ lacking it." A tear escaped her eye and he caught it with a kiss, "So, I guess it startles me a little every time I hear you say it, because I gave up hoping that I would ever hear you say that to me."

He leaned over and kissed her tenderly, "Aww, C.J., you are lacking absolutely nothing that any of them have." He rubbed her jawline with his thumb, "It's killing me that you would think that I loved my horses or my frog and not you."

He paused so he could consider all that she said, and she reached up to caress his cheek, "I have lost most of the people I have truly loved. So, maybe in a childish way, I thought if I didn't say it aloud to you, that I wouldn't ever lose you. I just didn't realize how much not saying it to you hurt you." He stroked her cheek and kissed her again, then looked deeply into her eyes. "I promise you I will tell you every chance I get from now on, okay?" She nodded then he kissed her again.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Mama was in her room making sure her suitcase was packed and her clothes were laid out for tomorrow's early morning departure. She heard the noises again from upstairs and smiled to herself. _"Ah, amore. Soon a wedding, then more grandbabies"_ she thought.

As she listened, she made non-committal face and body movement while thinking, _"Maybe a baby before a wedding… Wouldn't be a first in the world."_ She sighed, _"Il loro amore reciproco è una tale benedizione."_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Houston was catching his breath, and had to ask, "Umm, Are you on the pill?" He knew he need to tread lightly with this subject.

She was breathless herself, but patted his chest reassuringly, "Yes. Yes, nothing to worry about." She knew he had made sure to be careful with his past girlfriends and flings. As business partners, they had talked about how a man in his position could easily have a woman get pregnant just to get to his money.

He slowly ventured, "What if you weren't?" He knew he was getting ahead of where they were, but he loved her so much he couldn't help himself.

She paused and thought about it. She was trying to figure out what direction that question was coming from. She went with a humorous, "Aww, baby, didn't Bill have that talk with you? You see when a man and a woman…"

He teasingly pinched her arm, she pulled it away and giggled while he said, "Nooo… I know what happens. What I'm asking is, what if that happened for us?"

She took a long pause before she asked, "You want me to get pregnant?" She still couldn't believe she was lying naked next to him and that they had made love twice, let alone the idea of them having children at this point. It was baffling her.

He decided to go for broke, "Well, to be very specific, counselor, _I_ want to get you pregnant."

Her face and tone were quizzical, "Don't you think we should give this dating thing a bit more time than twelve hours?"

He corrected her, "If you don't count the twenty years we've been friends; It's been five and a half months."

She began, "So…" She paused, vaguely recalling Chris telling her the same thing, "You think we've been dating since you got back from your trip?"

"Uh-huh" he nodded.

She scratched her jawline, and asked slowly, "Yooouuu thought we were dating even when Kai was here?"

He cringed, "Yeeeaaah, that _was_ a little bit of an awkward phase of the relationship." Then he jutted his index finger into the air, and stated brightly, "BUT I feel like we moved past it pretty well."

"Huh" She had a thought, but wasn't sure she should express it.

"What?" He wanted to know.

"Oh… I just had a thought." She could tell he was waiting for her to say it, so she mentioned wistfully, "If only I were the kind of girl who did threesomes."

His sudden intake of breath made her laugh, "Counselor! Just when I thought I knew you!" As she giggled, he pulled her on top of him and gave her a sultry look, "I'm gonna tell Mama on you."

She kissed him then said, "If you do, you'll miss what's gonna happen next." She started trailing kisses down his chest, which made him forget about what he was going to say next.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Meanwhile, downstairs in Vince and Teresa's room, Vince was staring at the ceiling, "What has that got to be? Like round three for them?" He looked over at the clock and it was 11:30. He was hoping Houston could fly with less than 5 hours of sleep. He was happy for them, but really didn't want this vacation to end in a fiery plane crash.

Teresa patted his hand, "Remember when we were like that?" They were so hot and heavy when they were dating and when they first got married.

He sighed, "Before the kids…" He remembered how naughty he felt when they went two towns over and spent the weekend at a hotel before they were married.

She nodded, "Yeah. Before we knew how important sleep was."

"Yeah," He loved his sons, but sleep was ranking right up there in importance.

Teresa felt pretty well rested on this vacation, since the boys were mostly out of her hair, both day and night. Listening to the amorous activities from upstairs gave her ideas, "Although, since the kids are in the bunkhouse, we could…"

Vince immediately rolled to his side and got close to his wife. As he unbuttoned her nightgown, he posed, "Give them a run for their money?" They had been married long enough that if his wife sent out an invitation, he knew he had to make the most of it, because the kids ran them both ragged and the invitations were understandably fleeting.

Teresa giggled, "We can't be too loud. We'll wake up your mother and she'll want to tell us how to make her another grandchild." Then she embraced her husband passionately, like they did before the kids came along.


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry this one took so long. Having a bit of writers block with part of the story line, but am trying to move it along.

Thanks for all your comments!

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

The next morning at 5am, C.J. was dressed in _her_ sweatshirt and sweatpants down in the kitchen with Mama making breakfast sandwiches, coffee and juice for Houston and the Novelli clan to eat on their ride to the airport. While they were busy, Mama let C.J. know what she had overheard last night, and told C.J. she knew a wedding was in the near future. C.J. was a little mortified, but pressed on with the business at hand, and didn't bother to tell Mama that if sex with Houston equaled a wedding, he would have been married at least a hundred times by now.

Over by the door was a cooler with beverages, fruits, meats, cheeses, and various other snacks for lunch that would be put into the plane's galley once they got on board. The boys were setting the luggage in the driveway to await arrival of the limos, Teresa was getting the last of the swimsuits out of the dryer and folding them, and Houston was doing the pre-flight check on the chopper. Vince was doing a last walk through on all the rooms that their party had stayed in to be sure nothing was left behind.

After exiting the bunkhouse, Vince walked over to the chopper and slyly asked, "Are you sure you're not too tired to fly us back today?"

Houston was puzzled, "I'm fine, Vince. Why do you ask?" He hadn't felt this awake in a long time.

Vince grinned, "We heard you had a _visitor_ in your room last night. From what we could tell you _visited_ three times. I could see how a guy could be worn out from all that _visiting_."

Houston blushed a little, "But then I slept _very_ well." Then he smirked, "And you missed one _visit_." Houston was just about to step into the shower that morning when he had a thought and asked C.J. to hand him a towel, but then one thing led to another.

Vince thought about it, "This morning in the shower?" Houston waggled his eye brows, and Vince tossed his hands up, "I told Teresa that's what we heard!" Then he lowered his voice, checked to see where the boys were, and added, "Oh, and by the way, thank you."

"For what, Vince?" He asked in a bemused tone as the checked the bolt on the tail rotor.

He realized that his wife would kill him if she knew he was about to reveal this, "Wellll, don't tell Teresa, but hearing your visiting, got my wife in the mood for a visit of our own."

Houston laughed, then answered out of the side of his mouth, "Don't tell C.J., but glad we could help."

He put his hand on Houston's shoulder and jostled him a bit, "I'm happy for you, man. So, when's the wedding?"

Houston hedged his answer, "I'm not sure just yet. I have to propose first, and I feel like I need to wait a bit." If she was still flinching every time he said, "I love you", she wasn't ready for that next step.

"Just make it romantic, but not over the top. I know you Texans do things big, but she's a classy lady so nothing on a Jumbotron." Houston rolled his eyes and nodded, then Vince added sincerely, "She's too good for you _and_ the best thing that will ever happen to you, so don't screw it up."

Houston sighed, "I know it Vince, and I'm going to work hard not to." He put his arm around Vince's shoulder and they walked back to the house. They passed the boys carrying the cooler and bags of food out to where the luggage was sitting.

When they entered Vince looked over at what C.J. was wearing and asked, "Hey, Houston, isn't that your sweatshirt?" He had heard all about the sweatshirt battle on one of the rides out to see the cattle.

C.J. turned to look at Houston, and he smiled at her. "No, Vince, turns out it was never mine to begin with." Just then the chime for the gate sounded. Houston went over, checked the security camera, then let the limos through.

As everyone made their way outside, Mama had an arm around C.J.'s waist and C.J. had her arm around Mama's shoulder. "Now, youa tell Roy we say good-bye."

"I will Mama. You take care of yourself, and maybe we'll see you at Christmas?" She was going to miss having Mama and Teresa at the house. It was nice learning new recipes, and chatting the way that you just couldn't with men.

Mama gave her a squeeze, "I hope for a big event, ah?"

"I don't know if we're there yet, Mama" she said a little pensively. She wasn't sure if he would really want to marry her so soon after his engagement and almost wedding to Elizabeth went bust.

Mama reached over and patted C.J.'s tummy, "Den I pray he puts a baby inna here, so you hafta marry him."

C.J. still couldn't get over how everyone was so certain that marriage and babies were in her future with Houston when they had been dating less than 24 hours, no matter how Houston calculated it. So, she just shook her head then gave Mama a hug, and helped her into one of the limos. Then she hugged all the boys, and Teresa and waved as the limos drove away. Then she walked over to Vince and gave him a hug before he hopped in the chopper.

Vince whispered in her ear, "You take care of the big lug. He really does love you."

She pulled back and smiled at him, "I will. I hope we get to see you soon." Then she walked over to Houston's side of the chopper, and gave him a hug, then a kiss that started to go places. Knowing what she wasn't wearing under it, Houston's hands started to make their way under the sweatshirt.

And it would have gone further if Vince hadn't been there to say, "Hey, hey, hey you two! Do that on your own time. If the limos beat us to the airport, I'm gonna owe my wife a new living room set." Teresa was convinced that the pair wouldn't be able to contain themselves, so they made a friendly wager.

They both giggled, then Houston looked intently into her eyes and told her, "I will be back tomorrow afternoon. I love you." The flinch was there, but not quite as pronounced.

"I will be here. Fly safely. I love you, too." Then she gave him one last peck on the lips before he got in the chopper and started it up. She stepped back to a safe distance and waved as they flew off.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Later that day, Houston had a moment alone to call C.J. before she would go to bed. When she answered the phone he asked, "Hey, C.J. What've you been up to today?" He was missing her terribly. He had always missed her when they were apart, even when he was with a girlfriend, but now he was feeling it more keenly.

She was dressed in her blue pj's and had been sitting on the couch watching a movie. She couldn't believe how much she missed him already, but she covered, "It's going just fine. I went for my run after you left and when I got back, I had an interesting talk with Will." They had been working together to strip all of the beds and collecting the towels for the laundry.

He was hoping Will didn't mention the Kai story, "Did you? What about?"

She told him, "He said that he was going to be here every day to be sure the evening shift change happened, and if it didn't, he would take care of his father, so we wouldn't have to worry."

He was pleasantly surprised, "That's good. Did he say anything else?"

Her response was soft, "He thanked me for everything that I've done for Roy and apologized for not stepping up sooner. I told him, I know it's hard on him, seeing his dad needing so much assistance, but Roy is trying to make the best of it and he should, too."

"Good advice, counselor." He knew the call was getting expensive, since he placed it before 7pm Hawaiian time, so he wanted to move on to more pressing business, "Now, you're staying at the ranch tonight, right?" He didn't like the thought of her at her house alone, which he knew was silly since she had spent most of her adult life in a house alone. But his over-protectiveness, which was usually between 1st and 2nd gear when it came to her safety on a daily basis, was in at least 3rd gear since they had made love.

"Yes, is…" She felt a little silly about what she wanted to ask him.

"What?" He couldn't imagine what she might be thinking.

She hesitated a moment then proceeded, "Is it okay if I stay in your room tonight?"

He smiled broadly, "That would make me very happy." He was sure that she wouldn't have any bad dreams if she slept in his bed.

She was smiling too. "Thanks, pal," she said softly.

"Don't mention it. I'm going to let you go, but I will see you tomorrow afternoon." He knew it was rude, but he was going to leave the Novellis early in the morning to get back home to her. He also knew they'd understand.

She was thrilled knowing that he was coming back to be with her and she sighed, "I can't wait. Fly safely."

"I will. I love you." He could hear her breath catch and knew she flinched.

This time she heard and felt the flinch, "I love you, too." After she hung up, she made a promise to herself to not flinch again and she started by telling herself, _"He loves you. He said he loves you and means it. He would never lie to you about that. He loves you. He said he loves you and…"_

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%_%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%_

On Labor Day, Houston landed the helicopter on the roof of Houston Industries in the afternoon. He was dressed in a button down shirt and jeans. He was grinning ear to ear as he disembarked and opened the patio door. The office was darkened and C.J. was sitting on the couch working on BABY. "Hey, darlin'! What are you doing at the office on a holiday?" He had called the house from the airport and Will told him where to find her.

C.J. grinned back at him, "I had all last week off and thought this would be a good time to try to get caught up." He sat down next to her then promptly captured her mouth in a kiss that she reciprocated in kind. As his hands started to unbutton her blue blouse, she stopped him and said, "I think we need to set some ground rules for the office."

He paused then said, "Anytime, anywhere. Done." Then he tried to kiss her again but she pulled back.

She was finding it difficult to not just go with the carnal urges she was feeling, but she knew this needed to be done. "I'm serious Houston."

"So am I." He planted another kiss on her and had her blouse unbuttoned to the navel, his hand slipping inside her shirt, before she stopped him.

She pulled her shirt together and leaned back, shaking her head, "Nope, nope, nope. Ground rules first, then… fun."

He gave her a sideways look and grumbled, "There will be fun, though, right?"

She gave him a look that she had never given him before at the office, a very sultry one, then she assured him, "Most definitely there will be fun."

He sighed then leaned away from her. "Since you've clearly been thinking about them, what ground rules do you have in mind?"

She smiled, "There will be no… canoodling during regular office hours."

He held up his hand, "Define 'canoodling' and 'regular'." He knew he needed to get the definitions straight so he wouldn't get in trouble with her in the future.

She gave him the look, "'Canoodling, as defined by Meriam-Webster, to engage in amorous embracing, caressing and kissing."

He held up his hand again, "Wait! So, does that mean that all three of those things are happening at the same time or separately?" He was thinking he could make due with pairing at least two of those at any given time.

She shook her head and grinned, "The word 'and' would indicate that all three would be happening at the same time. And if you're going to look for the loopholes…"

He shot her a sexy look, "Oh, I know where your loopholes are. I was just about to get to them when you wanted to have this conversation instead."

She sighed then continued, "'Regular' would mean anytime Chris is here or a client might show up. Chris might be happy for us, but she doesn't want to see us…"

"Going at it like crazed rabbits?" He wiggled his eyebrows and shot her a smoldering look.

She shook off the look and continued, "I was going to say 'entangled', but your wording is equally true. Next, this seat…" She waved her hands to indicate the part of the couch they sat on to do work with BABY, "Is _only_ for work. We do not need our minds to wander off, more than they probably will, while we're working."

"So, what we were doing before…" He was trying to stay focused but it was difficult with her sitting there looking all sexy with her buttons undone and, because she had moved her hands, he could see she hadn't worn a bra that day, so that wasn't helping.

"Would be a no-no." She waggled her finger, then asked, "Would you like to add anything?"

He leaned into her, "Just for clarifications sake, this…" He captured her mouth in a kiss while sliding his hand in her shirt and cupping her breast. The magnet pulled her, so she leaned into the kiss and his touch, then he stopped, "Would be a no-no here, but…" He stood up and pulled her up with him and moved them over to the short couch by the piano, where he replaced his hand and kissed her again, then asked, "Here is fair game?"

"Uh, huh" then she kissed him and started undoing his buttons. A few minutes more of passionate kissing and her shirt was tossed to the floor, and his was undone and she was working on the sleeve buttons. She had moved so she was sitting astride him, and he laid back on the couch wrapping his arms around her, so he could feel their hearts beating next to each other. She paused long enough to say, "I love you, Houston."

"I love you, too, C.J." He didn't notice if she flinched or not because he had started working on getting her pants undone, when the elevator door went 'ding'.

They both froze; he whispered, "Didn't you lock the elevator when you came up?"

"Of course, I did." She hissed as she ducked down while trying to find her shirt to put it back on.

The number of people who had the key to the elevator were few. Houston knew it wouldn't be Chris or Will or Murray, so that left only one person.

Lt. Michael Hoyt, bounded up the stairs, saw the flurry of activity over on the couch and turned his back on the scene. He said in a slightly irritated tone, "You know, it's your fault I now owe my wife a fancy dinner."

"How do you figure that, Hoyt?" Houston wondered while buttoning his shirt, and cursing the day he gave anyone a key to that elevator.

He chuckled, "Well, when I had called the ranch and they said you two were here, Ann said that I should call first because you two might be going at it, but I told her Ms. C.J. Parsons is too classy to get carried away at the office."

Houston stepped up and over the back of the couch, "To be fair, it is a holiday, not _regular working hours_." He looked over his shoulder to see C.J. dashing off to her office while trying to get her shirt back on. "Speaking of which, why are you here on a holiday weekend?"

The office door shut. "Is it safe to turn around yet?" Hoyt asked in a bemused tone.

Houston went and stood behind the bar, because Hoyt would have noticed the obvious, then answered, "It's safe."

As he turned around, he mentioned, "You know, back at the academy, we used to put a sock…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, why are you here?" His tone was irritated and, unlike the obvious, he couldn't hide it. He knew that after this, he wouldn't be able to convince C.J. they could do anything more than kissing when they were here.

He was grinning at Houston's irritation. "Well, a little bird told me that you're working on an insurance fraud case, and seeing as it has just landed in my lap, I thought we could help each other out."

The realization that he was never going to get to have her at the office was still irritating him so he snapped, "So, what you're saying is, you've hit nothing but dead ends and thought you'd cheat off our homework."

Hoyt grinned, then said in a slow and easy manner, "Now, cowboy, I will excuse your rudeness because I know what I just interrupted." He paused for dramatic effect, looked at C.J.'s office door, then continued, "However, I really think we can help each other. This guy has been getting away with this for too long and I know we both want to see him brought to justice."

Houston sighed, "You're right, I'm sorry. Let's get together tomorrow, during regular work hours and compare notes." He was not going to spend any more time talking with Hoyt today when he had more urgent matters to get back to.

He nodded, "Alright, tomorrow around 8am?" Houston nodded, and Hoyt turned and walked back down the stairs. As he was boarding the elevator he hollered, "You two should really think about that sock idea!"

After the doors slid shut Houston shouted, "You can come out now." And he waited for her to come out. After several seconds she hadn't opened the door so he made his way over and peeked in. Her shirt was back on and she was sitting at her desk with her head down on her folded arms. He ventured, "C.J. are you okay?"

Her voice was irritated, "No. We are _never_…"

He interrupted, "Yeah, I'm way ahead of you on that one." If she would have looked up, she would have seen the half irritated, half defeated look on his face.

She didn't look up, but sighed, "Now I have to leave the country."

He chuckled, "Why would you have to do that?"

She looked up at him, "Between the show we put on in the pool for everyone, everyone downstairs hearing us Saturday night, and THIS…" She gestured toward the outer office, then gestured wildly and stammered, "I… I… I… I have to move. Maybe that tire company still needs someone." She looked on her desk to see where she might have put that message.

He walked over to her and tried to console her, "Honey, it's not that big a deal, _really_."

She let out and exasperated sigh, "It's not that big a deal for _you_ because your love life has always been on display. You've never been shy about…" She didn't want to be nasty, so she just said, "…it. I, on the other hand, have done my level best to keep my private life private, and now…" She let out a whimper as she dropped her head back onto her arms on her desk. She muttered, "I knew I should have never had sex again."

He was going to tell her she was far too good at it to never do it again, but instead leaned down and rubbed her shoulders, "It was just Hoyt. He's our friend, and besides Ann, who's he going to tell?"

"He could tell the entire police force." She already felt like the courthouse was still not the comfortable place it used to be for her, she didn't need to add the police station to the list.

He tried to contain a chuckle but couldn't, "He won't do that; you know he won't."

She was still irritated, "He could tell Will. And that's just the kind of thing he'd love to torture me with."

He grinned, "If Will gives you a hard time, I'll take him behind the woodshed."

She reminded him, "You don't have a woodshed."

"I was speaking metaphorically." She just let out another whimper, so he said, "Come on, let's go home." If he couldn't have her here, he was going to get her back to where he could have her.

She sighed and lifted her head, then sat up. "Can't. I have to run to my house and water the plants and do a few other things." She was feeling bad that her plants and house were being neglected because of the time she was spending at the ranch.

He wiggled his eyebrows, "Could I be one of those 'other things'?" He could tell she was thinking about it, "We wouldn't have to worry about anyone overhearing us."

A smile slowly played across her lips, "Now _that_ is a great idea." She already knew which room they wouldn't be using.

"Let's go." He took her by the hand, led her out of her office and over to turn off BABY, then up and over the back of the couch and out to the elevator.

She mused as they waited for the elevator, "Oh, and you might want to look into getting a bed that doesn't make so much noise. Uncle Roy and the nurses are not going to want to hear _that_ every night."

That caught him off guard, "Every night?" He figured with their work schedules it would be a couple of times a week.

They stepped into the elevator. "Well, yeah," she replied as if it were a given with very few exceptions.

He pulled her into an embrace as the doors slid shut, and proclaimed, "I love you. I love you so much." And she didn't flinch.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The next morning when Hoyt arrived, there were socks on every door handle in the place, which was Houston's idea of a joke. C.J. was still embarrassed, but Houston assured her it would be hilarious, even though Chris agreed with C.J. that it wasn't that funny. Hoyt, opened the door slowly, and ventured, "I hope everyone has their clothes on" Then he and Houston laughed and laughed.

"_Boys_," C.J. thought as she rolled her eyes, and continued working on BABY.

When they had settled down, Hoyt asked, "So what do you have on our guy?"

"Oh, no! You go first." Houston demanded.

"Fine." Hoyt flipped open his note pad, "David Moore is suspected of committing insurance fraud three times in the last six years. Everything from stolen art to burning his boat. Nothing that could be proven." He then flipped it closed, and looked at Houston.

Houston was incredulous, "That's all you have?" After they had made use of just about every room in her house, save one, C.J. had told him the police must have nothing. "You were right, C.J."

She had a satisfied smile on her face as she typed away on BABY. "Should I tell him what we know?"

Houston sighed, "Well, I suppose we might as well, since he came all the way over here. But just hit the highlights." Houston went to the bar and poured Hoyt a cup of coffee, then handed it to him as C.J. spoke.

She tapped a few keys, and Mr. Moore's face appeared on the screen, "David Moore, aged 38, he was in and out of juvie as a kid, but those records are sealed. He's worked many odd jobs over the years, most of the places he worked fired him because they suspected him of stealing; parts, money, and the like. One place, an auto parts store in Mississippi, burned to the ground after they fired him, but they couldn't prove that it was him. He showed up in Atlantic City with what was described as a roll of money that he parlayed into $165,000 in winnings."

"He left with his winnings and a broken hand." Houston added with a knowing nod to Hoyt who shook his head and sighed. It could only mean that the mob thought he was cheating and they wanted to make a point with him.

A few key strokes and a picture of a lovely elderly woman came up on screen, "When he was 28 and living in Philly, his elderly neighbor died and left him $350,000 from a life insurance policy."

"What'd she die of?" Hoyt knew what the answer was going to be.

C.J. responded, "It says natural causes, but none of the other neighbors ever remember David even speaking to her, so they were surprised that she would leave him anything."

"I'll bet." Hoyt said as he sat on one of the bar stools, while Houston made his way down and sat next to C.J. He grinned at how lovingly Houston stroked C.J.'s back before letting his hand come to rest at her hip. The loving look that passed between them didn't go unnoticed by him either.

She tapped a few more keys, and a picture of a single-story house engulfed in flames came up. "He used that money to buy a house in a Chicago suburb, which went up in value after he bought it, then it burned to the ground. Gas leak from a faulty valve was the official cause."

Hoyt sighed, "How much did he get that time?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, "Almost $750,000 for the house and its contents."

"Anyone hurt?" Hoyt knew that guys like these usually started to get sloppy after they had gotten away with the first couple of crimes, and that's when innocent people started dying.

Houston responded, "Not that time. C.J. show him what we found in Utah." She typed into the keyboard, and a picture of a burned-out car appeared next to a photo of a burned corpse. Houston explained, "This was David's girlfriend's car that went up in flames with her in it." She clicked a few more keys and a picture of a plain looking woman with brown hair and brown eyes appeared.

Hoyt hadn't heard about this one, "Utah police didn't get him for murder?"

Houston noted, "They couldn't prove anything. But C.J. did some digging…"

She continued, "And the night before that happened, the body of a woman was stolen from a funeral home. She was roughly the same height, and bone structure of his girlfriend, Phillipa Monroe."

Houston explained, "Now, David got an insurance settlement of 1.5 million dollars…"

Hoyt sighed, "Let me guess, it was a Pinto and it had its blinker on when it was hit from behind?"

C.J. smiled, "Get that man a cigar. It was a hit-and-run and they never found the car that hit her car." She clicked a few more keys, then a yacht appeared, "Which brings us to Los Angeles. His yacht recently went up in flames and now he's awaiting a 3.5-million-dollar settlement."

Houston looked back at Hoyt, "And that's where we come in. The insurance company doesn't want to pay all that money if he did it on purpose. He also owns a condo in the marina."

C.J. added, "It and its contents are worth about 5 million, so odds are if he doesn't get the settlement from the yacht, that'll be the next to go."

Hoyt nodded and sat his cup on the bar. "So, we need to catch this guy in the act."

The phone rang and half a minute later Chris came up the stairs wearing a funny little smile, "C.J. that phone call you were expecting…"

"Thanks, Chris." She stood up, looked at Houston and Hoyt, said, "If you'll excuse me", then went to her office and closed the door.

Houston walked up to the bar, while Hoyt offered, "Why don't we stake out this guy's condo tonight? Unless you think he'll make a move today."

Houston shook his head, "No, I think he's sitting tight for now, but I would like to take a look in his condo and see if he has any other policies we don't know about."

"Look PI, I can't be involved in…" Hoyt was always on thin ice where Houston was concerned. He needed to keep his job at least until Kathy was finished with college which meant at least another twelve years.

Houston interrupted him, "Then the less you ask about…" Houston looked at C.J.'s door and was wondering what was taking her so long, "What if we just happen to be staking out the same place at the same time? There's no harm in that is there?" Hoyt shrugged, "Besides, I have it on good authority that he'll be out this evening."

"Alright PI, I will see you tonight." He sat his coffee cup down and walked to the door, then turned around, "I hope I won't have to spend the whole evening watching you and Ms. Parsons making out."

Houston grinned, "I can't promise you anything. Besides, it's a great cover." He actually hadn't considered the make out possibilities until Michael mentioned them.

Hoyt rolled his eyes, "For you maybe." Then he walked down the stairs and over to the elevator.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The next several days and nights of staking out Mr. Moore's condo brought up nothing. They had tried to lure him out with the promise of a VIP dinner party, but he didn't leave his condo. The only person that was seen coming and going was a busty, blonde woman with what could only be described as a glitter fetish; her shoes, clothes, hats, jewelry and hand bags all looked like they had been encrusted in glitter.

Sitting in a car down the street from Houston and C.J., Hoyt was impressed that they managed to keep their hands and lips to themselves during the entire stake out. He was happy that his wife wasn't going to win another bet. He was even confident enough to go double or nothing on their bet that Houston and C.J. would keep their clothes on and their parts to themselves.

On Friday evening, as they were sitting in C.J.'s convertible with the top up, Houston remarked in an irritated tone, "I hope you don't have anything planned for the next week, because something tells me we're gonna be sittin' here that long." He wasn't much for sitting around and this was about to drive him to distraction. He wanted to get in the condo and poke around but no opportunity had presented itself.

"Not much other than a doctor's appointment on Monday," was her casual reply as she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. She didn't tell Houston, but she was loving being out in the field with him again and was thoroughly enjoying their discussions about the ranch, a possible trip back to Texas, doing some adjunct teaching a the local college, and more while waiting for something to happen. "_Just like old times_," she thought.

He clicked his tongue, "Well, tell Doc I said 'Hi'." He was not going to get anywhere near her office, or lord knows what she would do to him. He thought, "_I will not be turning my head and coughing for her_."

"Oh, it's not with Doc." She commented while lifting the binoculars to have a look.

He looked over at her, "Not with Doc? Is everything okay?" He wondered if the scars from her bullet wounds were bothering her.

She looked over and smiled at him, "Everything is fine. It's with my OBGYN." She knew she was opening up a can of worms with that statement.

He thought quickly, then mentioned in a slightly deflated tone, "Annual, huh?" He knew that would mean she would be getting another prescription for birth control pills, so no babies any time soon.

She shook her head, then looked back through the binoculars, "You said you wanted to get me pregnant, right?"

He brightened, but was puzzled, "Yes, but why would you have to…"

Her tone was slightly amused, "And you want your baby to be healthy, yes?"

He corrected her, "Our baby. Yes. I still don't…"

She sighed and glanced over at him then back to the window of the condo, "Houston, for a man, making a baby is two minutes of fun. But for a woman, to be sure that the baby has a good start, we go to the doctor and make sure everything checks out okay. And we see if there's anything we need to be doing to assure that happens _before_ we get pregnant."

While he was considering what she said, he stammered in a pouting manner, "It's… It's more than… It's more than _two_ minutes of fun…"

She rolled her eyes at his fragile male ego, and patted his hand, then said in a placating tone, "Of course it is, Baby." Then she couldn't hide her grin as she gave him a sideways glance.

He momentarily glowered at her, then asked, "So you're really considering having my baby?" He actually didn't think it would happen this quickly, and had planned on many months of work trying to convince her they should start a family together.

She looked back over at him, "I'm not saying it's going to happen anytime soon, but I've been thinking about it, yes." She gave a little shrug, "In the end, it's a matter of trust. Do I trust that you really do love me? Do I trust that you really do want to have children with _me_?" Then she looked away, and let out a long slow breath, "Do I trust that if she came back, you wouldn't run to her and abandon us or stay with us just out of a sense of obligation, when she was the one you really wanted to be with?"

He started to assure her, "C.J…"

She put up her hand, then continued, "I've thought about all of that. We've been friends, best friends, for a long time, and I know you wouldn't have even suggested having a baby if you didn't really love me. Or if you were holding out any hope that she'd come back to you." Then she turned to look him in the eyes, "So, I'm going to trust you with one of the biggest, most life changing decisions I will ever make in my entire life. And I do it because of my love for you _and_ because I _want_ to have your children."

He leaned over and gave her a tender kiss, then reached over and stroked her cheek with his thumb, "I promise I won't break your trust in me." He thought about saying more, then quickly decided that more words weren't needed. So, he kissed her again, but more hungrily, and she matched his eagerness.

Down the street, Hoyt was watching the building, and thought he saw someone peek out the window, then quickly close the blinds. His instincts were telling him that this stakeout was going to be a bust. The guy obviously knew they were there and he wouldn't make any moves while they were. He looked down the road to C.J.'s car, and saw them kissing passionately, then Houston pulling C.J. over onto his lap so that she was straddling him. He cursed silently that Ann had won another bet and made a mental note to trust her instincts when Kathy started dating.

He started his car, pulled out and slowly passed C.J.'s car, noting that all of the windows were rolled down. He could see that they were oblivious to anything else going on around them, and decided since they lost him his bet, he was going to interrupt their fun before heading home. He went down and then around the block before pulling up behind their car. He got out of his car, sidled up next to the front door, taking care not to look in lest he see something he really didn't want to, then pounded on the car door once, while he rumbled, "Knock it off you two." He heard a squeal from C.J. and a laugh from Houston. "This guy knows we're on to him, so I'm going home. I suggest you do the same before I call the cops to bust you for indecent exposure." Before they could reply, he turned on his heels and went back to his car.

Houston recaptured her mouth with his for an ardent kiss, then stared into her eyes and growled softly, "Do you know how deep inside you I want to be right now?"

She glanced upward, then replied humorously, "Hmmm, fairly?" She loved the impassioned look in his eyes.

He grabbed her hips and quickly thrust upward, leaving her with no doubt about his excitement level while saying, "Guess again." His actions caused her to bite her lip and moan softly, just the reaction he was going for.

She sighed, "Incredibly?" That was her real answer, and what she wanted at this very moment.

"That's better." He kissed her deeply again.

She pulled away and got a big grin on her face. She smoothed his mustache with her thumbs as she inquired, "Wha'da ya say, cowboy? Wanna take this party back to my place or finish it here and run the risk of being arrested?" She ran her fingers through his hair while she waited for his answer.

Houston looked her over, groaned a little as she made a quick circular motion with her hips, took a moment to weigh all his options, then said, "There's more room for fun on your bed, let's go there." So, after a passionate kiss, they made haste back to her house to finish what they started.


	21. Chapter 21

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Hoyt called Houston Saturday morning to let him know they had put up a couple of surveillance cameras in empty condos and docks around Mr. Moore's condo and had a team in a van with cable company logos on it just far enough away it wouldn't be too conspicuous. He would call them the minute there was any sign of him. That left Houston and C.J. free to do some work around the ranch and the housework.

While they were having a lunch of salad topped with grilled chicken, Houston broached the subject of getting a house keeper, "I was thinking we could use some help around the house to do the cleaning and laundry." Houston was hoping that Uncle Roy and Sally, his nurse, would back him up on this.

Roy noticed the little face C.J. made and chimed in, "_I think that's a wonderful idea, Matt. Then you two could get some actual leisure time when you get home._"

C.J. shrugged, "It's really not my decision to make." And she took another bite of her salad. Even though they were dating now, she didn't feel like she really had too much say about what Houston did with his ranch and his house. In her mind those boundaries were still up. She knew he was used to a lot of people around a house, but after the incident with Elgin Cody hiring a man to go through plastic surgery to look like Houston, she knew that anyone could be paid off to get inside information and use that against him. And because she was the only one who realized that the man wasn't Houston, it made her that much more wary. She had been meticulous in her research into all of the nurses and therapists coming to work with Roy because of that.

Houston could tell she wasn't thrilled with the idea, but pressed on, "Will you help me interview some people?" He wanted to tell her that, as his wife, it would be important that she liked the person too, but decided to omit that thought for the moment.

She grinned, "Of course." She wanted to add, _"But I don't see why you need my input"_, but left it at that.

Sally mentioned, "My Auntie just moved here from Virginia and that's the kind of work she's looking for. She has excellent references, if you want to meet her." Her Aunt had moved here at her family's insistence that she not live alone in a town with no family around to help her if she needed it.

Houston nodded, "Sure, can she come out tomorrow?" The sooner the better as far as he was concerned. Not that he minded cleaning, but he could think of much more pleasurable activities he wanted to be doing when he got home.

Sally shook her head, "Oh, no, not tomorrow. She'll be in church most of the day, then taking meals to the shut-ins after that."

Houston took that as a positive sign, "Okay, do you think she would be willing to come here Monday morning?" He added, "It would be good for her to see the house before she committed to working here." It was a big place that she might not be willing to handle. And he thought that would allow them to see how she would fit in with the flow of the house as well as getting everyone's perspectives, including Bo's and Larmar's, before they agreed to hire her.

Sally smiled and replied, "I will ask her tonight. You're gonna love Aunt Pecora. She's sweet, but no-nonsense, too."

"_So, it runs in the family, huh?"_ Roy asked and everyone, including Sally, laughed. Then Roy switched topics rather quickly, _"I hear you have a doctor's appointment on Monday, C.J." _

C.J. looked over at Houston, who was beaming from ear to ear, like a kid at Christmas. She shook her head a little then remarked to Roy, "Yes, it's as good a time as any to see if I like this guy."

Houston's smile faltered, "What does that mean?" He thought she should already know if she likes him since she's been going to him for several years.

She looked over at Houston and informed him, "My doctor retired, so this will be my first visit with Dr. Charles."

Houston was a little taken aback, "So, a man you've never met before is going to see you… naked and'll be touching your …?" He didn't finish his sentence because of the looks he was getting, but the beast within him was not happy about a strange man seeing and touching his C.J. in places that only he should get to see and touch.

C.J. gave him a dubious look, not believing that a doctor's visit was making him jealous. She explained, "Yes. But I'll be wearing a gown, _and_ he's a _medical professional_." She said the last two words with extra emphasis hoping it would get through to him, then she looked over at Sally, who rolled her eyes.

He mumbled into his iced tea, "Well, I don't know if I like that." He was trying to reason with the beast, but it was still not happy.

She cocked her head to the side and retorted, "Would you be happier if he bought me drinks first?" This statement caused Roy and Sally to snicker. Houston started to say something, but C.J. cut him off, "Where was all this concern when we moved here from Texas and I had to find a doctor?" She looked at him pointedly, "I don't recall you givin' a damn then."

He blustered, "I cared!" Then he realized how silly that sounded, so added with a deflating tone, "In a way… that didn't involve me ever asking about it." She gave him the look, so he quickly said, "Maybe I should go with you." She leaned back a bit and continued to give him the look, and he tried to justify his statement, "That way I can ask any questions I might have about our plans."

She sighed, rolled her eyes, then stood up, gathering the plates, and went in the house. She knew she needed to exit the scene before she said something that she might regret. As she rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, Houston came in, bringing the glasses with him. After he sat them in the sink, he turned so he was leaning against the counter, looking at her. She said in a rush, "How can you _possibly_ be jealous of a doctor examining me? These women's exams are about as sexy as the turn-your-head-and-cough and prostate exams are for men."

He knew humor was his only way out of this. "Sooo, pretty sexy then." He was grinning when she looked over at him.

She let out an exasperated sigh while rolling her eyes. She asked seriously, "Have you always been like this? With the women you've dated?" She had no recollection of him doing this with any woman that she was aware of, and if he had, how did it not drive them crazy?

He reached over, stroked her cheek with the back of his index finger and whispered, "Just with you." And she could tell by the look in his eyes that he meant that. He pulled her to him and he kissed her sweetly, then hugged her. He said softly in her ear, "I really do want to meet the doctor who will be taking care of you and our baby."

She wasn't going to give in that easily, "I'll think about it." Then she kissed him and he quickly deepened the kiss. They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn't notice Roy and Sally going through the kitchen. This went on for a few minutes when suddenly C.J. pulled away, "Oh, my god!"

He gave her a smoldering look, "I know, right?" He was still in awe of how she made him feel every time they kissed.

She shook her head, "No, I just figured it out." And she patted his chest as the pieces continued to fall into place.

He was a bit perplexed, "Figured what out?" Unless it was another position for them to try, he couldn't imagine what she could be thinking.

C.J. stepped back and gestured excitedly, "The lady with the glitter fetish IS Phillipa Monroe! She just dyed her hair, and got implants. Do you know what this means?"

"That I'm not as good of a kisser as I'd been led to believe?" He wondered how it was that every other woman he was involved with swooned at his kisses and thought of nothing else, but not C.J. Then again none of the women he had dated had ever matched C.J.'s intelligence, so maybe she couldn't help but think of a thousand things at the same time.

She gently swatted at his chest, "Oh, stop! If we can prove that she is Phillipa, then we'd have both of them for insurance fraud, stealing a corpse, staging an accident, and a few other things." She took him by the hand, "Come on, we've got work to do."

As she was leading him past the laundry room, he pulled her in, saying, "Wait. I've got something I want to show you." At this moment his mind was still on that other track and he was not going to let it be derailed.

As he pulled her into the mostly empty storage room off the laundry room and slid the pocket door shut, she grumbled, "Why is it guys always want to 'show us something'? Like we don't know what it is or haven't seen it before?" Then she inhaled sharply as he pressed her to the wall and she could feel his arousal. The smoldering look he was giving her made her weak in the knees, and she captured his mouth in a kiss. She started to undo his shirt buttons as they kissed, because she really did want to see what he had to show her.

As he lifted her top over her head and she worked at his clothes, he growled, "You haven't seen it in this room."

%%%%%%%%

After making thorough use of the laundry room's storage area and her bedroom and shower, they decided to wait to go into the office until Sunday, since Hoyt called and said there was nothing to report. C.J. didn't want to tell him her idea just yet; she wanted to research it more before letting him in on her theory.

That evening C.J. and Houston stood side-by-side in the kitchen cooking a dinner of roast beef with potatoes and carrots, inter-mixing it with dancing to the music that was playing. After dinner Will remarked they were truly an old married couple already because of how in sync they were while doing the dishes. Everyone watched _Witness_ in the living room before Houston and C.J. retired upstairs, because she had "something to show him". But unlike her, he didn't protest because no matter how many times he saw what she was going to show him, he couldn't wait until the next time.

She was up early on Sunday for her 5am run and Houston decided to join her. He hadn't gotten clearance from his physical therapist to do any running, but that wasn't anything new for him. After a few miles, he panted, "You're holding back, aren't you?" It had been too long since he had run like this and his leg was cramping up a bit.

She grinned, "Maybe a little, but I don't want you to re injure your leg. It came in mighty handy when you were showing me that thing against the laundry room wall yesterday." She couldn't let herself think about it too much or she might just tackle him right there in the road.

He laughed, "That it did." He waved his hand, "You go ahead, and pick me up on your way back." So, he slowed down and watched her kick into high gear, enjoying her lithe form running like the wind until she was over the hill and out of his sight. He jogged a bit more, then slowed to a walk, stopping to stretch the calf that had had an arrow shot through it not more than nine weeks before. He kept walking, and he finally heard her footsteps approaching. While his leg was still aching, seeing her running toward him put other ideas in his head.

As she came over the ridge, she was relieved to see him. She had thought he would have made it further than he had and was beginning to worry that he had torn something. She slowed up as she reached him and could see he had a look on his face that was a mixture of pain and possibly lust, but she couldn't be sure. "Are you okay? Did you pull a muscle?"

He sighed as he turned to walk back toward the house, "I'm fine. It's just…"

"What?" She put her hand on his shoulder.

His voice was half defeated, half amused, "Five years ago, I would have bounced back from this with no problem, but now…" He slipped his arm around her waist.

She crinkled her nose, "It does suck getting older doesn't it?" He nodded, then she added, "Don't worry, it may take a bit longer, but you'll get there. Remember, we're going to run that marathon together next year."

He stopped and asserted, "Not if you're pregnant." It was a thought that made him smile.

She was slightly offended, "I can run a marathon when I'm pregnant." He gave her the look, and she remembered how the race ended with her collapsing into his arms, so she equivocated, "Maybe not a full marathon, but I could to a half. That's only 13.1 miles. Easy-peasy."

He was suddenly overwhelmed by her strength and tenacity, and he breathed, "I love you C.J. I _really_ love you."

She kissed him then said, "I really love you, too." Then she jutted her head, "Come on, let's get back to the house so we can get cleaned up and go to the office." She took a step away from him.

He reached for her hand, "You know, we could find other things to do here instead." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

She smiled and pulled away, "No, sir. Work first then… other things." She turned and ran off to the house at a speed that both of them knew he wouldn't be able to match.

%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sunday evening Hoyt was making his way up the stairs at the detective agency, when he spied Houston over at the bar and C.J. working on BABY. They each said, "Hello" to him, but he was in a foul mood, so demanded, "Is someone going to tell me why the hell you dragged me over here?!"

C.J.'s tone was bemused, "No, 'hello'? 'How are you'? Just straight to business? Poor Ann." Then she giggled and clicked away on the keyboard.

Hoyt rolled his eyes, "Forgive me if I've forgotten my manners, but this guy is costing the department money and the Chief of D's is hounding me…"

Houston grinned as he interrupted, "Well, Hoyt, then we're about to make both of you very happy. See, C.J. figured out who the lady, the one who's been seen coming and going from the condo, is." He paused for dramatic effect and to annoy Michael.

After waiting a few seconds, Hoyt snapped, "So, are you gonna tell me or do I have to shine a light in your face and beat it outta ya'?"

C.J. remarked, "Someone's a grumpy detective." Then she looked over her shoulder and grinned at him before continuing, "Phillipa Monroe, the dead woman, isn't as dead as she wants everyone to believe." She tapped on the keyboard and side by side pictures of the plain woman with brown hair and the blonde woman with the glitter fetish were on screen. "I did some digging and two days after the supposed death of Phillipa, a woman matching her description had plastic surgery in Tucson, Arizona. So, I did a little more digging." A few more clicks on the keys and several medical "before and after" pictures popped up.

Hoyt froze, "Wait a minute. How did you get those pictures? I thought doctors kept that kind of thing confidential."

She answered quickly, "You don't wanna know." Then she continued, "She had work done to her breasts. After surgery, this same woman spent several weeks recovering at a spa in Sedona. The name she registered under was, brace yourself, Pippa Monroe." She giggled as she added, "We figure she didn't want to have to change her monogrammed towels."

"That's when she showed up here, and has been seen coming and going from David Moore's condo in glittered everything ever since." Houston added with a nod.

Hoyt shook his head in disbelief, "Hold on. No one is going to be stupid enough to think they could get away with that. She dyed her hair and has bigger boobs? That's not much of a disguise. I mean, come on!"

Houston shrugged, "That should make your job easy. All we have to do is knock on the door, then bring them in for questioning."

Michael began rubbing his chin, "But there's a problem." The worry lines were creasing his face even more.

C.J. stood and turned toward them, a little confused, and noted, "You have probable cause. And if you don't want this case, I'm sure the folks in Utah would _love_ it."

"That's the problem. We need him here for the arson case, but if Utah gets wind of this, they're going to want him _and_ her, too. Not to mention the Feds getting involved." He blew out a long stream of air as he began to pace. "Okay. Let's hold off until tomorrow evening, so I have time to strategize."

Houston was aghast, "Hoyt! What if he decides to burn the place tonight? A lot of innocent people could get hurt! There are at least 10 other units in that building, and the other buildings are close enough that the fire could easily spread to them, as well!"

Hoyt was still pacing and calculating, he finally spoke, "We'll tighten security right now. Put more men around the building, make him continue to not want to step foot outside. Then tomorrow night we'll move in and nab them." He stopped pacing and looked at Houston, "I take it you'll want to be there for the bust?" Houston nodded, and Hoyt knew better than to tell him "No" or they would waste time in a pointless argument. "Okay." Then he looked at C.J. "Ms. Parsons, if you would please send me the information you have that _isn't_ questionable as to how it was obtained. I will get it to a judge and see if we can't get some warrants."

"Will do." She knew exactly which documents she could and couldn't send over to him. She turned toward her office to get started on getting them together.

Hoyt started for the elevator, "Good work you two. Houston, I will call you when I know what time it's going down tomorrow." He knew it would take all of tonight into the morning to get everything set up.

"Okay, see you tomorrow." Houston said to Hoyt's retreating back. He followed C.J. into her office. "What time is your doctor's appointment tomorrow?" Because if the two events coincided, he knew where he'd be.

As she sat at her desk, she looked over at him, "I still haven't decided if I want you to come along." He suddenly looked genuinely hurt, and she couldn't stand doing that to him, so she acquiesced, "Oh, okay. You can come along, but you had better be on your best behavior."

He held up his fingers in the scout's oath manner, "I promise to be on my best behavior, scout's honor."

She smiled at him and said, "Now let me get this done so we can get home. We have to prepare for the interview tomorrow."

He smiled and walked back to BABY. He knew she would have many serious interview questions, but he was just going to do what he always did – go with his gut feeling.

%%%%%%%

Uncle Roy, Bo, Lamar, Houston, and C.J. were sitting on the couches, and arm chairs in the living room when Sally opened the front door. She entered and was followed by an African-American woman in her mid-fifties. She wore a gray, short-sleeved dress with a white collar and cuffs, belted at the waist, sensible shoes and carried a small, beige quilted leather purse on her forearm. Anyone could see that she must have been a beauty in her younger days, but time and lots of hard labor had dulled her looks.

Pecora looked over the assembled crowd and hesitated a step before straightening herself up, and walking over to greet everyone in a somewhat formal manner after Sally introduced her. "How do ya' do? It's nice to meet you. Didn't expect quite so many folks here for this."

After he shook her hand, Houston said, in his usual laid-back manner, "Well, we wanted to be sure that you got a chance to meet everyone. See, we're all like family here, and we wanted to give you a proper welcome."

She gave Houston a little smile, then admitted softly, "I'm a little nervous. Don't enjoy this part. I like the workin' part much better." He smiled and guided her to one of the leather chairs as she looked around the large living room and was impressed with all the stone and woodwork. "My, this is a lovely home you have. Don't have nothin' like it back home in Virginia. Not that I've seen anyways."

Houston introduced everyone before he sat down next to C.J., who had a legal pad that had several pages of questions on it. She had already done a thorough background check and found nothing out of the ordinary, but her Harvard law school training kicked in like it usually did in these situations and she wanted to get a feel for how Pecora would answer the questions. Houston put his hand on hers, and she knew that meant he wanted to start off, so she lowered the pad to her lap.

He asked Pecora several standard questions about where she grew up and how she was enjoying California, and the like. He explained what her duties would be, then he asked, "Do you have any questions for us?"

"Well, sir, I do have one." She hesitated a bit.

C.J. smiled, "You can ask anything." From the answers she gave to Houston's questions, she was liking Pecora already.

She asked seriously, "How do ya' get a ladder in here?"

"I'm sorry?" Houston truly didn't understand the question.

"Well, sir, how do you get a ladder in here to clean them beams up there?" And she pointed to the ceiling.

Houston nodded, "Oh! You won't have to worry about that. We haven't had anyone tall enough who could see the dust up there." Everyone laughed except Pecora, who frowned. "Something wrong?"

She informed him very seriously, "Well, sir, when you have people over they gon' to look around and if they see dust hangin' from the rafters, they gon' say, 'That Pecora, she don't clean right. Didja see those rafters?' And I'm not fixin' to have a bad reputation because of dusty rafters."

C.J. tucked away her legal pad; she knew at that very moment, Houston was going to hire her.

%%%%%%%%%

Hoyt had left word at the office that the bust wouldn't go down until later that night. This made Houston happy because then he was able to go to the doctor's with C.J. and not feel like he was missing anything that the insurance company would want to know about.

In the exam room, Houston was seated in the chair next to the exam table when C.J. stepped out from behind the privacy curtain in a pink exam gown. She stopped, turned around and then put her panties at the bottom of the pile of her clothes on the little bench, then walked over and sat down on the exam table and spread the paper drape across her lap. Houston was curious, "Why did you hide your panties?"

She answered him seriously, "I have a rule; anyone who gets to see my cervix, doesn't get to see my panties."

He chuckled, "Good to know." It occurred to him that he'd known her forever, and yet there were so many things about her he didn't know. He was looking forward to finding out all about those areas of her life that he had never even considered asking about.

The doctor and the nurse entered a few moments later. Dr. Charles was a tall, handsome man who didn't appear to be much older than Houston and C.J. He extended his hand to C.J., "Ms. Parsons it's nice to meet you." After introductions were made and pleasantries were exchanged, he looked over her chart and asked, "So what brings you here today? You're not due for your annual for another three months."

She felt a little awkward being the only person not fully dressed, but began, "We're thinking about starting a family, not anytime soon, but I just want to be sure that everything checks out okay and to see if there's anything I need to be doing before we do that. I want to be sure that the baby has a good start in life."

The doctor smiled, "I wish all moms-to-be were as on top of things." She smiled back, then he continued, "Okay, why don't you go ahead and lie back and I'll examine your breasts." He lowered the top half of the table and she leaned back and stared at the posters of babies, and rainbows and exotic locals on ceiling. He asked her the standard questions about pain, discharge and the like before saying, "I'm not feeling anything out of the ordinary, so let's go ahead and do the pelvic exam. We'll go ahead and do your pap-smear now, so you don't have to do it again in a few months. Feet in the stirrups, you know the drill."

As she put her feet in the stirrups, she heaved a sigh, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can never be too young, too rich or too close to the end of the table." This made the nurse and doctor laugh. C.J. then scooted her bottom all the way down to the end and spread her knees apart, all while continuing to stare at the posters.

The exam light was turned on, and when Dr. Charles inserted the speculum, she inhaled sharply causing him to apologize, "Sorry, the gel is a bit cold. Someone needs to invent something to keep it warm." She just nodded while breathing deeply as he opened the speculum.

Houston was quiet throughout the proceedings because he realized that C.J. was right; there was _nothing_ sexy about this exam. The bright light aimed at her vagina, the metallic clank of the speculum, the "bug under a microscope" looks the doctor and nurse had, and the "is it over yet" look on C.J.'s face; it made him feel ridiculous for spending one second being jealous. He wanted to reach over and hold her hand, but felt that might be intrusive, for lack of a better word.

When the doctor finished doing the internal exam, he pulled out the speculum, then inserted his two fingers into her vagina and pushed on her pelvic region checking that her uterus slid easily from side to side. He then removed his fingers, took off the gloves and said, "Alright, why don't you get dressed and I'll meet you in my office." Then he and the nurse left the room.

Houston stood and reached out his hand to help C.J. to a sitting position. "I'm sorry." He didn't let go of her hand.

She looked puzzled, "For what?" She thought he had behaved very well so far.

He shook his head and shrugged, "For thinking…" He didn't want to finish his sentence.

She squeezed his hand and gave him a little smile, "It's okay. And now you know." She pulled him close and gave him a kiss, then said, "I need to get dressed so we can go ask all those fun questions."

After she was dressed, they walked down the hall, entered the doctor's office and took the seats in front of his desk. Dr. Charles was leafing through C.J.'s chart and asked, "I see you are an only child, was that planned or were they not able conceive after you? Did they struggle to conceive you?"

C.J. was stunned, her answer was halting, "I… I don't know." Houston reached for her hand and she took it.

Houston explained, "Her parents both died when she was young." He rubbed her hand with his thumb.

The doctor nodded, wrote in the chart, but then continued, "Do you know, were there any miscarriages? Did she have an easy pregnancy and delivery? Were you a full-term baby or a preemie?"

Again, C.J. faltered, "I don't know about any miscarriages. I believe I was full term. I don't recall her saying much about her pregnancy or labor. But I was only ten when she died."

"Were your parent's deaths due to accident or illness?" His tone was soft when he asked, because he could tell she was trying not to become upset, but he did need this information.

Houston interjected, "Her father was killed in an accident at work, isn't that right?" He gave her hand a squeeze and was concerned about the look on her face. He was trying to read her, but there were too many things going on at the same time for him to pick up on exactly what she was thinking.

C.J. nodded then let out a long slow breath, "My mom, she died about 4 years after my father. No one would tell me what happened. I remember them saying I was too young. I don't think the people who raised me knew much more than I did." She looked out the window, trying to hold it together. This was not how she envisioned this going when she woke up this morning.

"I'm sorry. I'm really not trying to upset you; I just need as much information as possible about you family's medical history." The doctor looked over at Houston and gave C.J. the moment she needed to collect herself. After a few moments, he continued, "Well, there was nothing in your physical exam that would indicate anything other than you are a healthy woman. Your cervix appeared normal, and your uterus seems fine, no endometriosis. I see no reason that you shouldn't be able to get pregnant when you're ready to."

C.J. pushed the thoughts of her parents aside and looked back at him, "Is there anything I should be doing before I get pregnant?"

He recognized that C.J., as a lawyer, would want all of the facts and the reasons for any recommendations he would make, so he advised, "I suggest going ahead and starting prenatal vitamins and folic acid. The research that I've been reading recently is showing that women who take folic acid before they get pregnant and into the first trimester are less likely to have babies with neural-tube defects. I will write you a prescription for both." He paused and grinned a little, "Continue with regular exercise and I would also recommend that you go ahead and stop drinking alcohol and coffee…"

She interrupted him, "Coffee? I have to give up coffee?" The alcohol she knew about, but the coffee, that was almost unimaginable.

He smiled, "Yes, we encourage pregnant woman to have no more than one cup a day, but I think cutting it out altogether is best. And that would include any caffeinated sodas." He was used to this reaction from his patients and it always amused him.

Dr. Charles let that sink in while he looked at Houston, "For you I would recommend the same thing, at least until she's pregnant. You might also want to switch to boxer shorts instead of briefs. Briefs hold the testis too close to the body and the warmer temperatures are not conducive to a proper sperm count." Then he looked between the two of them, "Now, once you've gone off the birth control pills, it's best to wait a month for all of those hormones to leave your body before trying to get pregnant, so that means using some other form of birth control until then. I'd recommend condoms paired with a spermicidal jelly to be on the safe side." He paused to watch their reactions.

C.J. and Houston looked at each other, and she almost whimpered, "I have to give up coffee."

Houston chuckled at the one thing she was focused on, "It'll be alright, honey, I'll give it up with you."

The doctor handed them some pamphlets while informing them, "These should answer most of your other questions, but you can always call me if these don't cover them. I would expect to hear from you about 3-4 weeks after your last missed period, then we do a blood test. Of course, many women now a days like to use the home pregnancy tests, but they're not 100% reliable, so come in and we'll make sure."

C.J. stood up and reached across the desk to shake the doctor's hand, "Thank you, doctor. We're probably not going to start anytime soon, but…"

Houston beamed, "But you never know." Then he reached over and shook the doctor's hand before they made their way out of his office.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Back at the office, C.J. had been getting the paper work together to finish up the case for the insurance agency. Houston had gone downstairs to the weight room for a workout, and had finished his shower and dressed, when he found C.J., outside on the balcony, leaning on the wall, looking out at the city at sunset, deep in thought. He came up behind her, slipping his arms under hers, leaned against her and started nuzzling her neck. "Whatcha thinkin' about?" He asked, even though he already knew.

A few weeks ago, she might have kept her thoughts to herself, but they were a couple now and she thought he'd want to know. She sighed and softly asked, "What if I can't get pregnant? Maybe the reason they were a little bit older when they had me was because they struggled to conceive. Or maybe my mom had miscarriages… What if…"

He moved so he was leaning against the wall, then he pulled her over to rest against him. He held her face tenderly and let her know, "If you can't get pregnant, we'll try one of those new treatments; a test tube baby or we'll adopt. Don't worry about that right now." Tears filled her eyes, and kissed her tenderly then asked, "What?"

"Houston, I realized today, as he was asking me those questions, that I don't know anything about my parents. Not really. I know that they loved me, but I don't know why either of my parents died. And what kind of daughter am I that…"

He interrupted her, "You were so young when they died, so that doesn't make you a bad daughter. No one would expect you to know these things. I know I don't."

A tear rolled down her cheek, "But I should have at least asked questions when I was older. I went off to college then law school and I was afraid to go back there. I haven't even visited their graves since high school."

He wiped her tears away and affirmed, "Then we will go, just like we talked about. We can go for Thanksgiving. I haven't visited Daddy's grave since I was back there giving my deposition and settling his estate. We will go and you can do the research you want to do and I will be right there with you. Okay?" She gave him a little smile and nodded, then he kissed her. "Okay, why don't we get some dinner before we join Hoyt and bust Moore and Monroe?"

She shook her head, "I'm sorry, I can't. Elaine called earlier. She and her boyfriend broke up, so I promised to go over there and have a girl's night."

He was curious, "What goes on at these girl's nights?"

She answered with a question of her own, "Why? What do you think goes on?"

He looked a little abashed, but replied hopefully, "Naked pillow fights?"

She rolled her eyes, and pulled away from him, "Oy. Men. And that's why we need girl's nights." Then she walked back inside.

He hollered after her, "You kinda dodged the question there, counselor! So, is that a yes?" He laughed at the groan she let out.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

At 11:30pm, the bust went off with little fanfare, which disappointed Houston a bit. Mr. Moore opened the door when he knocked, and put up no resistance to Hoyt putting him in cuffs. Houston was hoping to at least get to chase the guy down; on foot or in his car. The only dramatic thing that occurred was when Phillipa started throwing her glittered handbag, then glittered shoes, then glittered jacket at him hoping it would keep him from apprehending her. Other than few scratches on his cheek from the handbag, he was unscathed, and she too was taken into custody.

Hoyt insisted that he go let the paramedics treat the scratches. As he sat there, Hoyt walked over to him with an odd look on his face, "Let's go PI, we're going to the hospital."

Houston was annoyed, "Hoyt! It's just a few scratches. It's nothing I need to go to the hospital for."

Michael shook his head, and put his hand on Houston's shoulder, "No, listen to me. I just got word that C.J. was hit by a car, they're taking her to the hospital right now. Let's go."


	22. Chapter 22

I didn't want to leave ya'll hangin' too long, so here's the next chapter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Using lights and sirens, Hoyt and Houston arrived at the ER not long after the ambulance that had brought in C.J. Houston was quiet and tense the entire ride, and Hoyt did his best to reassure him that C.J. would be alright, but he knew his words were hollow, not knowing what condition she was in. It was a hit and run, and that's all he was able to learn before walking over to get Houston to bring him to the hospital. Michael was sending up quick prayers that she would be fine, because he knew how much the man in the passenger seat needed her.

Houston was kicking himself for not insisting she go back to the ranch that night. He knew she was upset about what had happened at the doctor's office and should have known it would trigger one of her night terrors. On the ride over to the hospital, he decided that they would both go to therapy and try and work through their issues. He should have suspected this was happening a long time ago, because how could she have not been traumatized by all of the events that their jobs put them through. They were both good at brushing the ordeals under the rug and pretending they didn't happen, until the next time one or the other of them were kidnapped or shot. No, this had to end now; before they brought a new life into this world.

As they entered the emergency room, they could hear her wails interjected with terrified screams, "HOUSTON! LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Then the pleas of the medical personnel telling her to calm down, "HOUSTON! DON'T TOUCH ME! LET ME GO! HOUSTON!"

It was almost more than Houston could bear, he started to go towards her screams, but a nurse stood in his way. He pleaded, "You have to let me go to her!"

The nurse was adamant, "I'm sorry it's _not_ permitted. Just go to the waiting room and we'll come and get you when we've finished assessing her."

This was followed by another round of C.J. screaming, "LET ME GO! HOUSTON!..." And the doctors and nurses telling her to calm down, that she was in the ER and alright.

He felt like his soul was being ripped from him with every scream of his name. "Please! I can calm her down. I know I can, if you just let me go speak to her." He was trying to push past the nurse, when a couple of burly orderlies blocked the doorway.

Hoyt put a hand on his shoulder, half anticipating being punched, "Come on, cowboy, let's let them do their work." Hoyt had him turned and walking in the direction of the waiting room, when another piercing scream when up.

"HOUSTON! HOUSTON! PLEEEEASE! I NEED HOUSTON!" It was followed by loud sobs.

That was all it took, Houston turned, shoved one orderly and was about to punch the other when Dr. Peters came around the corner, "Wait! Come on, Mr. Houston." When Dr. Peters realized who was on the table in front of him and who she was screaming for, he recognized the only way to calm her down was to get him. They had both been through his ER many times before, and he was acutely aware of the effect they had on each other. Neither of them would listen to the doctors, but they would listen to each other. So, the orderlies stepped out of the way and the doctor took Houston by the elbow and said softly, "The reason she's screaming is because she has some trauma to her head. Head injuries usually make the patients combative. I need you to calm her down so we can get x-rays and decide if we need an MRI, understand?"

Houston nodded, "Yeah, just let me go to her." He could hear the heart rate monitor beeping rapidly, almost matching the volume of her screams and sobs.

They started walking again, and Dr. Peters continued to explain, "Now there's a lot of blood, but that's because she's got a head wound and they bleed more, might require a few stitches. Be careful touching her, we think she may have a fractured collar bone on her left side." As they moved into the area where C.J. was on the gurney, he told his team, "Folks, we're going to step back for a minute and let Mr. Houston try to calm her down. Everyone, keep observing her." The medical staff moved just far enough away that they wouldn't be in her line of sight, but close enough they could monitor her and watch her reactions to determine what kind of interventions they would need to do when she calmed down. Then Dr. Peters put his hand in the middle of Houston's back and gave a push, "Go to her." As Houston approached her, he could see that her face was smeared with blood, and on the left side of her head her hair was matted with blood, as were her clothes. They weren't the clothes she had been wearing when she left the office, but looked more like pale green, cotton pajamas.

Houston immediately understood why she had been screaming. C.J.'s head, body, arms and legs were strapped to a backboard and she was wearing a "C" collar. Being immobilized was a terrifying prospect in their line of work, and she was straining hard against the straps to no avail. He walked over to her right side and moved so that his face was above hers, looking her in the eyes. She stopped screaming when she saw him, but she was still a long way from calm and she began shaking. His voice was soft and soothing, even though he was feeling anything but, "Hey, hey, hey. It's okay, C.J., I'm here." He gave her tiny kisses on her lips and cheek, and held her hand. A nurse slipped up behind him and put a warm blanket into his other hand. He took it and covered C.J. with it.

Her eyes were opened wide and they showed how frantic she was, then C.J. started to plead softly with Houston, "Houston, take me home. Take me home, please!" She inhaled sharply, tears streaming down her face, and like a child told him, "I'll be good." Then, between sobs, she was bargaining with him, "I'll stay at your ranch. I'll stay in your house and won't go outside. I won't. I won't…." After another intake of breath, she added, "I'll stay in your room, in your bed. I promise I'll be good. I promise, just get me out of here."

Now that their auras were wrapping around each other, he was able to focus on calming her down. He gently wiped the tears from her face, promising, "I will take you home, but _after_ the doctors have checked you over and said it's okay. Shhhhhh."

Her eyes quickly rolled to the right, then back. Her voice was still as frantic, but a little higher pitched, "I wanna see my babies. I wanna see my babies..." She kept repeating this as her voice became softer and her eyes roamed the room.

He was a little thrown by this change of topics, but his voice remained soothing, "Well, you can't do that just yet. Shhhhhh." Houston was just going with whatever she was saying and trying to keep her calm. The heart rate monitor was still beeping away quickly.

She looked into his eyes, "Did you see them? Did you go see them?"

He shook his head, "No, I didn't see them. We'll see them together. Shhhhhh." He started inhaling and exhaling deeply, hoping she would match his breathing and calm down.

She went back to imploring, "I wanna see my babies. I wanna see my babies." Then her eyes rolled to the right and back again. She was panicked, "Houston?"

He gently stroked her hair on the top of her head, "Yeah, honey. Shhhhhh." He kissed her with more light, quick kisses.

She was looking around the room, her expression was puzzled, "Are we still in the lighthouse?"

He kept stroking her hair and explained gently, "No, honey, we're not. We haven't been there in a long time."

"You said I was special?" She inquired with a bewildered tone. Her breathing was beginning to match his and the monitor wasn't a noisy as she calmed a bit.

His reply was emphatic, "Yes, you _are_ special. You are _very_ special to me." She had been unconscious when he had told her that, so he was amazed that she would or could recall it.

"But you'll never love me." There was pain behind this statement, but she was breathing slowly and deeply along with him. Her eyes studied the room, or what she could see of it anyway.

As he looked into her eyes, he reminded her, "I _do_ love you, C.J."

She stopped looking around the room and looked at him, her brow furrowed, "You do?"

He nodded, and replied tenderly, "Yes, I love you with everything that I am."

She repeated, as her eyes looked around the room again, "Not in a long time." Then she asked again, "Did you see our babies?"

He was oddly relieved that the babies that she had been referring to were also his, so he said to her, "Not yet. Later I will. Just breathe with me."

Her eyes rolled, then narrowed before she seethed, "Houston, if she breaks his heart, I'll kick her ass." He didn't get to reply or ask questions before her eyes rolled again and she choked up, her air back to soft imploring, "I wanna see our babies. I wanna see our babies..."

His tone was sweet and understanding, "I know." He gave her several tiny kisses on her lips, "Just breathe with me."

It took a couple of minutes more, but her breathing was finally matching his and the monitor was finally beeping at a near normal pace. Once again, her eyes rolled, then fluttered before she focused on his face, "Houston, where am I?"

He could tell she was coming back to herself, so he told her, "You're at the hospital. Dr. Peters needs to examine you."

She looked alarmed, "Don't leave me." Something she couldn't name was terrifying her, but she knew if he was near, she would be safe.

He promised, "I won't. I will be right over there, but they need you to stay calm and cooperate. Can you do that for me darlin'?" He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back.

She tried to nod, but her head wouldn't move, "Will you take me home then?"

"When they say it's okay. Gimme a kiss." He lowered his lips to hers and he savored the warmth of her lips on his. "I love you C.J."

Her reply was sincere, "I love you, too."

When he stepped back the team stepped forward and began their work again. One nurse was starting an IV, another finished cutting her clothes off of her, Dr. Peters was ordering all kinds of tests, then he asked Houston, "How many times has she had a trauma to her head that caused her to lose consciousness?" Knowing the two of them, he knew better than to ask "if" she had any previous head trauma.

Houston quickly calculated, "At least three. About a year ago, she had amnesia from it."

As the team cut the bindings that held her to the backboard, and then "team rolled" her onto her side to get the back board out from under her, Dr. Peter's asked, "How long did her amnesia last?"

Houston winced when he saw the already forming deep purple bruise that ran from her knee all the way up her side to her shoulder. He finally answered, "Two or three days." The doctors in the small town said it would be nothing to worry about, and she refused to see a doctor when they arrived back in LA.

Dr. Peter's was flashing a light in her eyes, "Pupils are even but slow to constrict." Then inquired, "When her memory came back, did it come back in a rush or bits and pieces."

"In a rush, I guess. When she saw me, it came back to her," was Houston's reply.

"Of course, it did" Dr. Peters said under his breath and with a twinge of a smile. As someone who knew them in only a cursory fashion, he had always wondered why they weren't married. They were closer and more in tune with each other than most of the married people he knew. He was happy that they had evidently taken that step from friendship to a couple who were intensely pair-bonded. "OK, we're gonna need an EEG and someone call neurology." When they moved the portable x-ray machine over, he asked Houston, "Do you know if she's pregnant?"

Houston was a little taken aback by the question, "I don't think so, but there's always a chance, isn't there?" Nausea hit him hard at the realization that he may not only lose her, but their child, tiny as it might be, if she were pregnant. After all, no birth control is 100% effective, and they had been unable to keep their parts to themselves for more than a several hours at a time since he had finally declared his love for her a little over a week ago.

As they draped the lead blanket across her abdomen, she panicked and called out, "Houston?!"

He responded soothingly, "I'm right here darlin'. It's okay. They're taking care of you. Just keep breathing slowly."

The doctor pulled Houston around the corner as they took the x-ray. "We're going to admit her for at least tonight; probably two or three nights. I'm going to go ahead and assume that you'll want her to have a private room if she's not in ICU?"

Houston nodded then instructed him, "Yes, and I'll be staying in the room with her, so go ahead and let the nurses know it's not up for debate." He was certain that this was brought on by a night terror and he was going to make sure that she didn't do anything to injure herself further; even if he had to go against hospital policy and sleep in the bed with her.

%%%%%%%%

They gave her mild sedation and an anti-anxiety med while doing the MRI. It calmed her enough that she agreed he could go a check on Elaine. So, he made his way to the waiting room to see Hoyt and Elaine there, anticipating what he might tell them about C.J.'s condition. He told them what the doctors had said, and that she would be admitted for several days. Then he looked at Elaine and asked, "How long had she been asleep when it happened?"

Elaine, whose face was tear streaked, her eyes were puffy from crying, was puzzled, "Asleep? No, we were sitting up talking…"

That didn't make sense, so he pointed out, "But she was wearing pajamas."

She nodded, and wiped her eyes and cheeks with a tissue, "Yes, we got comfortable, but then I remembered I hadn't gotten my mail. So, we put on slippers and walked down to the mailbox. It's down a few buildings in my complex, so as we were walking back, we heard an engine rev, turned to look, and she shoved me out of the way and tried to jump too, but the car hit her. Then it took off." She burst into tears again, and Hoyt reached over and rubbed her back.

This put things in a whole different light. Houston's tone was demanding, "Do you think they were aiming for her?"

Hoyt jumped in, not wanting to upset her any more than she already was, "My guys have taken her statement and are looking for the car. We're also going to question Elaine's ex…"

She shook her head, "But why? He broke up with _me_, why would he do that if he broke up with _me_?"

"We're going to do a thorough investigation and we will find the person who did this," his statement was firm and directed at Houston. He knew well enough that when it came to C.J., Houston was relentless in his pursuit of anyone who harmed her.

He challenged, "Do you know how many suspects that could be?" They had made a lot of people mad over the years, and he knew that any of them could have meant to hurt her, and some would have done it just to get back at him.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, PI. For all we know this was a random accident with a drunk driver." Houston was about to argue, but Hoyt put his hand up, "We will look into all angles. You need to focus on C.J."

Elaine was digging for another tissue, when Houston handed her his handkerchief. She weepily told him, "I'm so sorry this happened. She's a great friend…" She didn't finish the rest because she began crying again, lowering her raven-haired head to her hands.

Houston rubbed Elaine's arm, then pulled her into a hug, "I know. It's not your fault. Come on, let's get some coffee. This is going to be a long night."

%%%%%%%

A few hours later Dr. Peters came to the waiting room to tell them the news, "We think she's going to be okay." Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. "All her blood work came back fine. She does have a fractured clavicle, not so bad that she needs surgery, so we're going to put her in a clavicle abduction sling to immobilize it for at least six weeks. Nothing else was broken, no neck or spinal injury. She has deep bruising along her left side that's going to be painful. The MRI showed slight bruising towards the back of her brain, but we can't be sure if it's from this time or from her previous concussions. She's complaining about a sensitivity to light, which isn't unusual in these cases. Any questions so far?" He paused to give them time to process the information so far.

Houston's head was spinning. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and could only think to ask, "Is she still calm?"

Dr. Peters smiled, "Yes, you did a great job with her. Okay, now the only other concerning thing is the EEG showed that she may have had a small seizure or seizures. It wasn't happening when the monitor was on her, but it probably happened recently. I think that's what we were seeing in the ER when her eyes were rolling to the right then back again, do you remember?"

"Yes," was his short reply; as if he could forget it or what she said after they happened.

"We're going to need to monitor that, so we're going to keep her here at least until…" He looked at his watch and did some calculating, "Thursday. We started her on pain medication and we can adjust it if we need to. Any questions?"

"When can I see her?" He didn't want to be rude to Hoyt or Elaine, who stayed with him while he waited when they could have gone home, but he needed to see her for himself.

Dr. Peters put his hand on Houston's shoulder, "They're taking her up to her room right now. I've told them that you're allowed to be in the room with her at any time. They're also leaving the other bed in the room so you can sleep there." Getting ahead of Houston he added, "I wouldn't advise sleeping in the bed with her tonight because she'll still be hooked up to the EEG machine that has a lot of wires, not to mention the IV fluids she'll be getting."

Houston turned to hug Elaine, "You go home and get some sleep. I will call you later and let you know how she's doing. I'd wait to come and visit until tomorrow."

Hoyt hugged Houston, "Alright PI, I will take the lady home and call Will and let him know the update on your girl. Do you want Ann to go out and keep an eye on things?"

"No, but thanks. If you could call Bo and let him know what's going on. Thanks." And he patted Michael's back before releasing him from the hug. Then he turned and walked with the doctor to go to C.J.'s room.

When he entered her dimly lit room, she had a cap with a lot of wires coming out of it on her head, but otherwise she appeared to be resting peacefully. He didn't want to disturb her, but he wanted her to know he was there for her if she needed him. After removing his jacket and laying it on the end of his bed, he walked over and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, the very softly whispered in her ear, "I'm right here darlin'. I love you."

Then he went to the phone and placed a call to Vinny D', a friend of Too Mean's, who took over his protection agency when Too Mean died. He told him he wanted guards on C.J.'s room 24/7 and some men out at the ranch to tighten security there. Until he knew for sure who ran C.J. down and why, he wasn't taking any chances. As he was finishing his phone call, he could see she was starting to stir.

She tried to open her eyes; she needed to see that her 'favorite face in the whole world' was there. She needed to tell him something important, so she forced her eyes open. She was finding it difficult to get her mouth to move, but she managed a weak, "Houston?"

In one step he was at her bedside, holding her hand, "C.J., it's okay. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. You just go back to sleep."

Her eyelids slid closed, the joy of seeing him, even for a moment, calmed her. She felt his strong hands holding hers, and his warm lips kissing hers tenderly, his mustache tickling her cheek when he kissed that next, and the scent of his cologne. Sleep was trying to take her, but it was important that he knew. "It was her," she thought she said, but to him it was a mumble.

He could only guess at what she said, but it didn't matter because she was out again just as quickly. He stayed there, holding her hand, until her heart monitor slowed, indicating that she was deep asleep.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Much later that day, before her eyes even opened, the pain hit her like a train. She opened her eyes, and slowly assessed what hurt as she looked around the hospital room. Her leg, her hip, her ribs and her arm were all screaming at her, but her head yelled the loudest at how bright the lights were, so she closed her eyes again. She hadn't seen him, but she knew he was there because she could hear his soft snores; the ones she preferred to hear when her head was resting on his chest as they slept. She opened her eyes a bit and searched for a clock. Eleven-thirty. But was it AM or PM? She peeked over and saw that the blinds were shut and there was a black curtain over the window, blocking any light from coming in. As she closed her eyes again, she realized she had to go to the bathroom, and tried to sit up, but gasped as more pain shot through her.

He was by her side in a flash. He wasn't fully awake, but managed to murmur, "Hey, where're you going?"

"I have to go to the bathroom." Her hand started searching for the bed controller, but couldn't find it. She felt him sit on the bed, so she opened her eyes a bit. She loved the sleepy look on his face, and it made her smile a little. "What time is it? What day is it?"

He yawned and replied, "It's 11:30PM on Tuesday. I'll get the nurse. They don't want you getting out of bed without assistance." He pushed the call button, then he asked, "How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain?"

She inhaled deeply, "Yeah, almost everything hurts. What happened?"

He explained slowly, "You were hit by a car. You have a broken collar bone and a lot of bruising. They're pretty sure you have another concussion. The 12 hour EEG they did, didn't show that you were having any seizures. You've been complaining about the light, is it too bright in here?" The room was dimly lit using the lights on his side of the room and the curtain pulled, but earlier in the evening, even that was too bright for her.

She didn't recall complaining, "A little. I've been out all day?" Then panic hit her as some of it came back to her, "Wait! How's Elaine? Is she okay?"

"She's okay. You took the brunt of it. They're still looking for the person that hit you." He couldn't stop the PI in him from asking, "Do you remember anything about the car or the driver?"

"Not really, but my head is kinda foggy." She had a nagging feeling that she knew something important, but it was flitting on the periphery of her consciousness.

"That's the pain meds doing that. The doctor thinks you'll need to be on them for at least a week or two." He gently stroked her cheek, "Are you hungry? We can get you something."

Before she could answer, the nurse entered and set about helping C.J. to the bathroom. Just the act of standing up was so painful it almost made her vomit, even the raising of the head of the bed turned her stomach. She held it together and made it there and back and was never so grateful to be in a hospital bed as she was this time. When she looked over, Houston wasn't there, and panic set in. Her breathing went shallow, she started to tremble and tears formed in her eyes.

When he returned to the room, he saw the look on her face and went to her; gently pulling her towards him, so that her head was on his chest, "Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong?" A soft sob was her reply, so he kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I just went to have them order you something to eat. I wasn't going to leave you. Just relax."

It took her a couple of minutes, but she was finally able to calm down, and she managed to say, "I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me. When you weren't there, something…" It flashed past quickly this time, too quick for her to really see it, but she knew it shouldn't be there. She tried to explain, "Houston, something is terrifying me, but I don't know what it is. It has to do with the car that hit me. I just can't remember."

He eased her back to the pillow, and told her, "Well, don't force it. It'll come back to you. Until then I'll be right here and I promise not to leave the room again without letting you know. I have a guard outside your room, so no one is getting in here who shouldn't be in here."

The nurse reentered the room with a tray that had a cup of beef broth, crackers, and green jello. She sat it on the bed-table and moved it in front of C.J. "Here ya' go. Try and eat a bit of this before the pain meds really kick in and you're back to sleep." Then she left the room.

C.J. looked at the tray, then mused with a curled lip, "Why is hospital jello always green?"

Houston chuckled, "They don't want anyone to want to stay long is my guess." He watched her as she ate and then until she fell asleep, before going back over to his bed and settling in. He hoped that whatever her brain was trying to tell her about the accident, it would let her rest until morning.


	23. Chapter 23

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

After two days and nights in the hospital, the doctors could tell they weren't going to be able to contain C.J. any longer. By Wednesday afternoon, and much to the irritation of Houston, she was up and slowly walking the halls, hand shading her squinted eyes to block out some of the light. So, on Friday morning, the PT came in and showed C.J. the easiest way to shower and dress without having to move her left arm too much, made sure she could get in and out of bed and any low chairs easily, and how she would need to manage other everyday tasks for the next six weeks. Since C.J. was right-handed she didn't think it would be too much of a challenge, but until you can't use it, you don't realize how much your non-dominant hand plays in those tasks. C.J. felt more human once she had showered, and put on clothes. The decision was made to wait until nightfall to move her back to the ranch, because even with sunglasses, the daylight was too much for her, causing her to almost vomit on a couple of occasions.

Friday evening, as the nurse wheeled her to the elevator, they were flanked by four bodyguards because Houston kept getting an uneasy feeling and he wasn't going to ignore it and risk C.J.'s life. While they waited for the elevator, the hairs on the back of C.J.'s neck begin to prickle, she glanced around but didn't see anything out of the ordinary through the dark sunglasses she was wearing. She would have said something to the bodyguards, but once she was in the elevator, it stopped. Her focus then was to get to the helicopter, and to the ranch, without getting sick to her stomach.

In the hospital hallway, a mysterious woman was on the phone at the other end of the hallway from C.J.'s room. She whispered urgently into the phone, "He's had guards in front of her door… No, I can't… They're taking her somewhere right now… I'm telling you there are too many people… I will, believe me, I will… But… Okay." She hung up then walked quickly down the hallway and saw that the elevator went down and stopped on the second floor. She took the other one and slowly followed the group until they got to the hallway that led to the helicopter pad.

She saw Houston meet the group, hid her face for a moment, and then followed them at a distance. She watched from a small window on the door as they loaded C.J. in the helicopter. She began to seethe with anger when she saw Houston step up on the runner and tenderly kiss C.J. after he got her in the chopper and buckled her in. Under her breath she muttered, "That bitch! I knew she was a little slut! Well, she won't be for long."

%%%%%%

The next morning, around 5am, C.J. went slowly downstairs, to be sure the shift change would happen and to check on Roy. She hadn't seen him since Monday morning and felt bad that Will was having to take over what she considered her job to be sure that Roy got "real" food blended to put through his feeding tube.

He was awake and in his wheelchair already. He used his communication device to ask_, "How are you feeling, my dear? I heard you played chicken with a car." _His nurse, Lori, looked up from her charting, and nodded.

"Yeah, and I lost." She joked, then she told him a little lie so he wouldn't worry about her, "The pain meds are doing their job." Then added, because it was obvious even to her she couldn't hide this truth, "The light is still bothering me, though."

"_Well, don't push it too hard. You've got to give your body the rest it needs to recover." _Her pajama had lifted up a tad on the left side because of the sling, and he could see a bit of the angry purple bruise. He wished there was some way he could help catch the person who did this to her. Will had told him what Houston had been thinking, and he agreed that it was a targeted attack and not merely an accident. They just needed to figure out who it was who was trying to kill C.J.

His fatherly concern made her smile, "I will try. What would you like for breakfast this morning?"

He assured her,_ "You don't have to."_

"I want to. I want to get back to a routine." She had always needed some routine in her life because of how chaotic their work hours could be. Not that Houston was going to let her go into work anytime soon.

"_That's not going to be easy with an injured wing," _he pointed out.

She managed a grin even though her body was screaming at her, "I know, but it'll make it interesting."

His blue eyes twinkled_, "Then I will take whatever you can manage."_

She headed to the kitchen, feeling very much like she was floating from the pain meds she took last night. She didn't like the feeling and, at 1am, decided she would delay taking that dose of her pain meds as long as she could. She knew it would make Houston mad, but if her gut was right, someone was after her and she wanted a clear head to be able to properly defend herself. Or at least as much as she could defend herself with one arm in a sling. She opted to make Roy a breakfast smoothie with protein powder, fruit and yogurt and let the blender do most of the work.

A sleepy, pajama bottom clad Houston entered the kitchen, trying to keep his voice even, "Darlin', what are you doin'?" When he awoke and she wasn't in bed or in the bathroom, it irked him. She shouldn't have set foot outside his room at this time in the morning. Will was here and would take care of his father. _"She better not've gone for a run,"_ was his thought as he made his way downstairs. Why did she have to be so stubborn all the time? But he knew getting into an argument with her would only make her go in the opposite direction of what he wanted her to do.

She gradually turned to look at him, but turned back, because seeing his toned, muscular torso like that made her want him. Made her want to strip him of those pajama bottoms and have her way with him right there in the kitchen. It had only been four days since the accident, and she knew she couldn't have him yet. The pain would be too much. So, she shoved those thoughts aside and answered simply, "Making Roy a breakfast smoothie."

He came up behind her, put his right arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck causing her to pause what she was doing and lean back against him. "I recall you telling me in the ER that you would be good." He decided he would try to seduce her back up to his room, even though they wouldn't be able to fully enjoy themselves because of her injuries.

"Define good," she countered with a slight grin. His body felt so right molded up against hers.

He continued, "That if I brought you back to my ranch you would stay _in_ my house…"

"I'm still in the house," she pointed out.

"In my room…" He breathed the next part softly and sexily in her ear, "In my bed." Then he lightly rubbed his lips up and down her neck.

The way he said the last part, made her back arch involuntarily, her body wanting him, but then a twinge of pain hit her. She used that moment to gently argue, "Your honor, my client was clearly under extreme duress when she made that promise. She was not of sound mind and therefore cannot be held accountable for any promises she made."

He paused his teasing of her neck and sighed heavily, "You _vex_ me, woman."

That made her giggle, "I _vex_ you?" That was another word that she always had thought sounded funny.

He kissed her neck, then repeated, "Yes, you _vex_ me." He turned her around tenderly and kissed her. He moved to deepen the kiss, until he felt her body spasm a little.

She was about to give herself over to the kiss, when another twinge of pain hit her. She tried to cover by telling him, "I promise, when I'm feeling better, I will propitiate you."

His lips were still hovering next to hers. "Yeah?" He loved it when she used ten-dollar words.

She gave him a quick kiss, then promised sexily, "Oh, yeah. I will propitiate you for hours."

Then a disgusted voice rang out, "Oh, uucchh! Isn't it too early for this kind of talk?"

They looked at each other, then over at Will, and said in unison, "No."

Will had been staying at the ranch while C.J. was in the hospital, to be sure that the nurses could be let onto the property, and because his cousin was spending all his time with her there. He was actually very happy for the two of them, but had to give the other half of the Texas Terrors a hard time, because that's what they did.

As C.J. turned to finish making Roy's breakfast, the pain stabbed through her and she couldn't pretend otherwise. She froze, and started to breath shallowly, because the pain wouldn't allow her to take a deep breath. Houston tried to guide her to one of the chairs, but any movement in any direction sent jolts through her. Will brought at chair over to her and she managed, with great difficulty, to sit down. After a couple of minutes, she managed to say, "I'm okay now." But the sweat on her brow and her upper lip betrayed her.

Houston asked firmly, "The couch or the bed, where do you want me to carry you?" When she just looked at him, he added, "Yes, I plan on carrying you."

She shook her head, "There's no way you can carry me without touching my ribs and my leg and that will just make it hurt more." She saw the frustration on his face, because he had seen the bruise that ran all the way down her left side and knew she was right. He knew she was barely able to tolerate clothing touching it let alone his hands if he were to carry her. "Just give me a few minutes and I'll go back up to bed." She figured that would appease him.

He told Will, "Do me a favor and keep an eye on her. I want to ask Lori something."

Will set about finishing the smoothie, while C.J. sat on the chair. Suddenly, she felt worse; much worse. She broke into a cold sweat, and knew she had to say something. "Will, I need to sit down," she said with a gasp at the end.

He stopped what he was doing, looked over and reminded her, "You _are_ sitting down." He could see the color drain from her face.

She managed, "I need to sit down… more." And she began to slump forward in the chair.

Will called out, "Houston! Now!" He stepped over, and put a hand on her uninjured shoulder to keep her from falling to the floor.

Houston flew into the room, saw C.J.'s drooping form, told Will, "Move." Then he picked her up as gently as he could, and commanded Will, "Get Lori." He carried C.J. to the couch and laid her down.

Lori swept into the room with her bag, and brushed Houston aside. She put a blood pressure cuff on C.J. and went to work. "70 over 50; on the low side." She dug in her bag and opened one of the tubes, tipped out a white cotton cylinder, snapped it in half and held it under C.J.'s nose. It took a minute or two for the smelling salts to have an effect on C.J., but she eventually wrinkled her nose a bit and shook her head. Lori let out the breath she had been holding, and said, "Here she comes. She coming back around."

Houston was relieved to see the color coming back to C.J.'s face, "What do you think happened?"

Lori surmised, "Sometimes, when pain is too much for our bodies, our brains can't handle it and check out on us for a bit." Then she inquired, "When did she take her last dose of pain meds?"

"About four hours ago…" A thought hit him, "Is when she was supposed to take it, but now I'm not sure she did." The entire time she had been in the hospital he hadn't seen her in this much pain. And he had been there every time the nurses came in to give her the pills and had watched her while she took them. Now that she didn't have someone supervising her, she might have thought she could do without it. But she had to know it would take longer for the more intense pain to subside when she did finally take them. She had to know this from when she had her gunshot wounds. But she skipped them anyway. This made him mad. As C.J. started to open her eyes, her breath was shaky, and he heatedly inquired, "C.J. did you take your pain meds?" She looked away from him, and that was his answer. He dashed upstairs to get them.

Lori continued to hold the smelling salts under C.J.'s nose and more color came back to her face, and she finally pushed Lori's hand away. C.J. looked over and was embarrassed that she had an audience. Uncle Roy had come out of his room, and Will was watching her carefully, too. The pain was threatening to overwhelm her again, but she managed, "I'm fine, now, really."

Will mused to his father, "Come on, Dad. Let's go out to the kitchen and get some breakfast in you. I have a feeling the discussion will be loud enough when Houston returns that we won't miss a thing." Then Roy followed him out to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Lori contended, "Hmmmm, I _really_ don't think you are." She brushed a tendril of hair from C.J.'s sweat laden face and guessed, "It doesn't mean you're weak if you take your pain meds. It's only been about five days since you had your accident. You're not expected to start to wean off them for at least another week. Maybe longer."

At this point, Houston's feet hit the bottom landing, and he was over to the couch in an instant. He was fuming as he looked at her. As he retrieved her pills, he became angrier that she would do something like that. She should have taken her medicine and stayed in bed. He asked in as level a tone as he could muster, "Lori, could you get her some water to take these with." Lori looked up at Houston and there was no mistaking the set jaw of anger on his face.

Lori looked back at C.J. with sympathy, then said, "Sure. Why don't you help her sit up? But go _slowly_."

After she walked away, Houston helped C.J. sit up, while he scolded, "I'm not going to ask _if_ you forgot to take them, because I know you didn't! Why would you not take them? Why would you do something _so _foolish?" Once she was in a seated position, and he stood upright again, he was livid and couldn't hide it any longer, "You're in pain, so take your pain killers! You're smarter than that, C.J.!"

Her reply was soft, mostly because she was trying not to pass out again, "Someone is trying to kill me, Houston. The drugs make me foggy. I need a clear head to defend myself when they come back to finish what they started."

He was insulted and blared, "Defend yourself?! That's what _I'm_ here for! I'm here to protect you! You think I can't do that?!"

Bo and Lamar came through the front door at that moment, and the tension in the air hit them like a blast furnace. As they stepped into the house, Lamar hesitated then said, "We were just comin' to see how C.J.'s feelin' this mornin'."

Houston in a show of frustration and anger, threw the pill bottles at the couch back, and seethed, "Oh, she's _fine_." Then he stormed off past them and slammed the door on the way out.

Lori returned to C.J.'s side, and helped her take her pain meds. Bo reassured C.J., "Don't you pay no mind to all that blusterin'. He's just worried, is all."

Will and Roy had returned to the room and Will tried to add, "C.J…"

But she put up her hand to stop him, "Don't. Could someone give me a ride back to my house?" If that was how he was going to behave, she wasn't going to hang around when she had a perfectly nice home to go to. One without an angry man storming about all pissed off at her for making decisions about her own body.

Everyone started talking over each other about why she shouldn't leave, so she stood up slowly and made her way over to the stairs and up. She went to her room, and set about pulling out some clothes to wear. She wanted to dress casually, but also knew that she needed something button down, because that would be easier to put on. It took her a long time to get her sling and pajamas off and her outfit and sling on, because she needed to take long breaks, most of which took up to ten minutes, between each step to breathe through the pain. She wanted to get on the road before the sun rose and was too high in the sky that sunglasses wouldn't help shield her from the headache that would come and make it impossible to continue to drive or do anything else. When she looked over at the doorway, plotting her path to one of the cars outside, he was standing there, arms crossed, wearing jeans and a button-down shirt, leaning on the doorjamb. She was determined to get back to her house, so told him in a flat tone, "I'll be outta your hair in a minute."

He had been out at the barn, and hopped up on one of the horses to go for a ride, even though he was in his pajama bottoms and bare feet. He knew he needed to cool off before talking to her again, and a ride would do that for him. He was exiting the barn when Bo and Lamar came up and told him that she was planning on going back to her house. His incensed reply was "Fine! Let her go! She doesn't think I can protect her, let her go home and do it herself!"

Lamar started, "Now, you don't mean…"

Houston barked at them, "The hell I don't! Now would ya' get outta the way and let me alone?!" Bo and Lamar gave each other a look, then watched as he put his heels into the side of the horse and rode off quickly. He almost immediately regretted his words and actions. All of them. To C.J. and to Bo and Lamar. He rode for a little while before turning around, knowing he needed to talk to her. As he slid off the horse in the barn, he apologized to the guys, then headed to the house to change and see her.

She took a step away from the bed and wobbled and swayed, because the pain meds were starting to kick in. He was by her side instantly, gently urging her, "Sit down." He felt the defiant flex of her right arm in his hand, so he repeated tenderly, "Sit down, please. Please." She sat on the end of the bed and he sat right next to her and took her hand in his. She wouldn't look him in eyes, even when he moved his head to catch her gaze. He let out a long slow breath, then began, "I'm sorry, C.J. I shouldn't have yelled. I was frustrated because… I know you're right. How many times have I not been able to defend or protect you from the people we investigate? I'd run out of fingers and toes if I tried. But I _want_ to always be able to protect you. To protect our children, so you never have to worry about any of that." He felt her fingers lightly squeeze his hand. "Please don't go back to your house. Please stay here."

She abruptly changed the subject, "I want to go to the office and start trying to figure out who hit me." It was a test to see if he meant what he said.

He paused then asked, "Can we do that tomorrow?" He saw her face harden, and as a result he quickly added, "So, I can get someone in to put up curtains and blinds that will block out the sunlight, especially in your office." When she didn't respond he added, "We don't know how long your light sensitivity will last, and that way you won't have to work only at night."

She thought for a moment, "Okay. I also think we need to get a van that Roy can ride in with his wheelchair. It's time he started getting out of the house. I think he'd like to come to the office and help out. The nurses can go where ever he goes, so that wouldn't be a problem."

He had been thinking along the same lines since he came back from Hawaii, "Sure, we can get some duplicate equipment to leave at the office." He she looked over at him, so he continued, "I will do that at the same time. Will you do me a favor?" She merely shrugged, so he asked, "Will you please go lie down in my bed while I make those phone calls?"

She shook her head, "I don't think I can." She was rapidly losing the battle with exhaustion from the pain and the numbing effects of the pain killers. She lowered herself to the bed, and fought to keep her eyes open. She felt him gently helping her to slide further up on the bed. He pulled the pillows down and arranged them so she would be comfortable, then he covered her with a blanket. He laid down on the bed facing her, gently stroking her cheek as she managed to say, "I love you," before her eyes slid shut.

He kissed her on the lips, then replied, "I love you, too, C.J." He stayed stretched out on the bed next to her for quite a while, studying her, and planning how he was going to propose to her when she was better.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

On Monday morning, Houston was at the office, making sure the blinds went up. No one would come out on a Saturday or Sunday, but Houston was able to tell them over the phone all of the measurements that they would need. He ordered blackout curtains for the doors to the helipad, and shutter-type blinds for the windows in C.J.'s office. He also ordered a bed that would go in the gym, so she could nap undisturbed if need be. He considered getting a single, but couldn't imagine not wanting to snuggle up with her some of the time, so ordered a double, in a brand-new type of bed that you could adjust the softness/firmness of the mattress.

After that, he and Will went to the specialty dealer to discuss the specifications that Uncle Roy would need for a van to transport him in his wheelchair. Houston and Will wanted to really customize it for Roy, so it was going to take much longer than usual to get in. But in the meantime, they picked one Houston considered "serviceable". As they were leaving the dealership, Houston got a feeling that he was being watched. He put his hand on Will as he subtly scanned the street in both directions.

Will held up a brochure, and pretended to be pointing something out to Houston, "Whadda see, Matt?"

Houston looked at the brochure, then over at the van, "Someone's watching us, but I don't see anyone up or down the street." He took Will by the arm and they went to the side of the van that wasn't visible from the boulevard. He then looked Will in the eyes, "I want you to be _very_ careful driving this back to the ranch. I'm going to follow you, but I'll be a few minutes behind. I want to see if anyone follows you or if it's me, they're following."

Will nodded, "You got it, Cuz. So, you're not going into the office?"

"No, my gut tells me I need to go home and check on C.J., so that's what I'm going to do." He opened the driver's side door, and motioned for Will to get in.

Will hopped into the driver's seat of the van, and started to adjust the seat and mirrors while talking to Houston, "You think she's going to make an escape?" He asked half teasingly.

His whole body was sending off alarm bells, he shook his head, "Nothing like that. I think whoever is watching us, is the one who tried to run over C.J."

Will did some quick thinking, "Then maybe you should drive to the office and take the chopper back to the house. If they're following you, but don't know where you live, you don't want them to find it that easily, right?"

Houston nodded thoughtfully, "You got a point. Tell you what, I will follow you for a few miles. Hopefully, I'll be able to spot them, and then we'll see if it's me they want or just the people I care about."

Will put his hand out the window onto Houston's shoulder, "Be careful, Matt."

"You, too. If you notice anything, and I mean _anything_ suspicious, you come back to the office and we'll ride together back to the ranch." He felt that this was as serious a situation as when Castanos was on the loose. But he would be more vigilant this time. He was going to have to see if he could get C.J. to remember who was driving the car that hit her. That was the missing key to the puzzle, and he didn't like it one bit.

%%%%%

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, C.J. had been sitting on a towel on the floor of Houston's bathroom, her back against the wall, with all the lights out. Even the little bit of light that was coming through the window in Houston's bedroom was too much for her today. She had spent Saturday and Sunday basically zonked out from the new meds the doctor prescribed. Houston had instructed the nurses that they would be getting paid double wages to not only care for Roy, but to be sure C.J. took her painkillers on time.

C.J. would have fought him on it, but he had told her his plan Saturday afternoon as he was coming out of the shower after his swim. The bathroom was bathed in the reflected candlelight from a three-wick pillar candle, the only amount of light she could tolerate at that moment. In a moment of weakness, while staring at his David-esque form when he dropped the towel, she agreed to taking all of her medicines on time until the doctor said she could stop. She kicked herself afterwards, because she knew he had played her, but, damn, he looked _so_ good naked. And now that she didn't have to avert her eyes, she enjoyed openly studying every inch of his body she hadn't been able to before.

Suddenly, the door flew open and the lights went on. It made C.J. immediately go for the toilet as she threw up her breakfast. Just as suddenly the lights went off.

Pecora apologized profusely, "I'm sorry, Miss C.J. No one told me you were in here. I came up to deep clean Mr. Houston's bathroom. Is there anything I can do for you?" Uncle Roy and his nurse had told Pecora what had happened when she started work the week before. She had assumed that C.J. would be in her room, since she had done the deep cleaning in that room while C.J. was in the hospital.

C.J. managed, "I can't… I just can't deal with the light today." Then she threw up again.

"Yeah, I had a cousin who would have awful spells. Migraines they called 'em." She said in an empathic tone. "Let me see if there's somethin' I can do for you." Then she went out and shut the door.

As much as C.J. hated it, all she could manage was to do was lie down on the cool tiles of the bathroom floor. But it grossed her out at the same time, lying on a bathroom floor. She didn't know how long she had been lying there with her head on the towel when Pecora came back.

Pecora crossed the room and handed C.J. some sunglasses, then said, "Come on Sugar, I got a nice spot picked out for ya'. Should be able to block out most all of the light, too." She helped C.J. to stand, then asked, "Do ya' wanna rinse out your mouth?" C.J. nodded then was guided over to the sink and handed the mouthwash. After she was done with that, Pecora told her to close her eyes when they got to the walkway because of how brightly lit that area of the house was during the day. "Now you just let me lead you. I promise, I'm not gonna let nothin' happen to ya'." After going down the stairs and across the house, she told her, "Now, I got a nice little air mattress that Mr. Lamar had, set up in the room next to the laundry room. Now, you know where the bathroom is from there?"

C.J. just wanted to lie down, "Yeah, I know."

She rubbed C.J.'s back, "Alright, then. I told the nurse and Mr. Roy where you at, so they know where to find ya' when it's time for your medicine." She led C.J. into the room, and slid the door shut then told her, "Okay, now. Open your eyes a bit so's you can see where ya' going. I got a fan to keep the air circalatin', but if it's too high you let me know."

The cool breeze felt good on C.J.'s skin. "It's fine." She peeked and saw that all of the boxes that had been in there, were gone, and Pecora had sheets, a light blanket, and pillows on the air mattress and a battery-operated lantern with another sheet over it to diffuse the light.

"Now, you go ahead and get comfortable. You want me to turn the light out before I leave?" C.J. nodded as she gingerly got down on the mattress and got comfortable. "I left a bucket, just in case ya' can't make it in time. I put a glass of water right there by the side of the bed. You go on and drink it, and in a little while I'll bring ya' another." When she paused, C.J. nodded. Pecora continued, "I'm gonna put a towel at the bottom of the door to block out the light from the laundry room. Don't you worry none, with the way the door slides, you'll be able to open it with no trouble. You just holler if you need anythin'."

As C.J. took off the sunglasses, keeping her eyes shut, she whimpered, "Thank you, Pecora." She was suddenly very fond of her.

"Don't you mention it, Miss. Get some rest." With that she turned the light out, and slid the door shut.

C.J. was back to sleep in no time flat.

%%%%%%%%

That evening, Houston and Will landed at the ranch. The car that had been following Will, turned off, then was following Houston, but in LA traffic, there were octogenarians using walkers that moved faster. Houston shouted to a shoe-shine guy, and paid him $250 to run the block and a half ahead and tell Will to meet him at the office. They spent quite a bit of time studying the street level security cameras, but only caught a glimpse of the car that had been following them. As Houston checked his room, bathroom and was almost to C.J.'s room, panic set in that he couldn't find her. Had she waited until he went to the office and then left him to go back to her house? He started to calculate how long it would take him to get there.

Just then Pecora came up the stairs with more cleaning supplies, "Oh, Mr. Houston! Now don't you worry none, Miss C.J. is in that little room off the laundry. The light was botherin' her somethin' awful today, so I set her up in there. Hope that's alright."

Relief swept over him, "Yes, that's fine, Pecora. Thank you." He walked back towards the stairs, and stopped near where Pecora was on the walkway.

Pecora explained, "She's been in there all day with only a couple of trips out. Was just visitin' her when you came in. Seemin' like she can tolerate a little light now. I brought her some soup, and she ate a bit of that, but she needs to eat more."

He nodded, "I'll see what I can do. Oh, and one more thing, could you call me 'Houston'? Mr. Houston was my father."

Pecora said with all sincerity, "No, sir, don't think I can. It's not how I was raised and you know what they say 'bout old habits."

Houston chuckled, "Yeah, Bo and Lamar have the same problem sometimes." Then he headed down to the laundry room, but stopped and called out to her. When she returned to the top of the stairs he asked, "Did you stay longer today just to take care of C.J.?" It occurred to him that she really should have left a long time ago.

She nodded, "Yes, sir. I know I don't know her, but I got a feelin' 'bout her. I been prayin' for her, ya' know? Got her on the prayer chain at my church. Somethin' ain't right about what happened. More then just the accident, ya' know?" Houston nodded and she explained, "Didn't feel right leavin' her that-a-way. Then the Lord spoke to me and tol' me, 'Pecora, you watch over that lamb.' And when the Lord speaks, I listen."

Houston smiled, "Thanks for listenin' to Him and for watchin' over her. Do you need a ride home?"

She shook her head, "Naw, sir. When my niece, Sally, come in a few minutes, her husband will take me home with him. But thanks for the offer. I'm just gonna finish up your room, before they gets here."

"Thank you." Then he headed to the laundry room. He slid the door to the room slowly open, and as he stepped in, he saw C.J. sitting on the air mattress with her back against the wall. He could see she was struggling to keep her eyes open. After closing the door, he went and sat down next to her, and she immediately put her head on his shoulder. He kissed the side of her head, then said, "Hey, beautiful, I heard you're having a hard time with the light today."

She hooked her arm under his and held his hand, then took a deep breath in, "Yeah." Then she told him, "I don't like these drugs, Houston. I don't like how I feel on them."

He leaned his head on hers, "I'm sorry that you don't like them, but have you been in pain?"

She barely shook her head, "Not the point."

"It _is_ the point. You may not like how you feel on them, but you're also not in pain." He kissed her on the head again, "The sun is almost down, do you want to come out of here and sit in the kitchen while I make you something to eat?"

She sighed, "Yeah, I do want to get out of here, but I already had some soup."

"Pecora said you didn't eat much of it," he said with a knowing tone.

She sighed, "Whatever happened to girl code?" But Pecora had been so kind to her today that she couldn't really muster the energy to even be miffed at her.

Houston grinned, "I think she's using a different code than you."

She lifted her head off of his shoulder, "It was so sweet of her to do this for me. I like her, Houston."

"I like her, too." He stood up, and offered his hand, "Come on, let's get you outta here."

She took his hand, and slowly stood up. He led her out of the storage room and over to the kitchen. After she was seated, she watched sleepily while he started dinner. She gave him a few pointers as he prepared the chicken and rice. She tried to stand up to help, but sat back down immediately. When Pecora came in the kitchen to say good-night, she managed to say with all sincerity, "Thank you for everything today. I really appreciate it."

Pecora smiled, "You're welcome, Sugar. Now you get a good night's rest and I will see you tomorrow. I'll be prayin' that tomorrow's a better day for ya'."

They both repeated their thanks, then Pecora headed out the door. After the chicken was in the oven and the rice in the cooker, Houston sat at the table on the chair across from C.J. She really did have a drugged out look on her face, but he wasn't going to say that or he knew she would stop taking the medicine. So, he ventured instead, "Do you have any memory of who was driving the car that hit you?"

She paused for a long time, searching her foggy brain, then shook her head, "It's like a movie playing with parts blurred over. I know I should know who it is, but her face isn't clear."

This took him by surprise, "_Her_ face? So, you think it's a 'her'?"

Again, there was a very long pause while C.J. played it over in her mind, "I'm almost certain it's a her."

Houston nodded, "Okay. That narrows down the list. We'll just have to put BABY to work on it in the morning."

She glanced over at him, "What time are we leaving in the morning?"

He deliberated, "We'll see how you feel, but not too early."

"I'm going to get at least a walk in in the morning." Her sleepy eyes defied him to tell her she couldn't.

He grinned, "You're still vexing me, woman."

That made her grin, too, and she said, "Probably because we still haven't had those vespers in the hammock."

"You're right, we haven't. We'll do that after dinner. Deal?" He reached his hand out for her to shake.

"Deal," she agreed and shook his hand.


	24. Chapter 24

Hi! This is a short one, but I just felt like it could stand on its own. Thanks for all of the feedback!

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

The next morning, Houston went outside to look for C.J., because she wasn't anywhere in the house. It was very early, but as he stood on the porch trying to decide which way to go to look for her, he heard a voice and nickering from the barn. As he entered the barn, he could just make out that she was standing in front of Calamity's stall because of the light from the tack room. He could also make out that she didn't have any shoes on her feet. As he approached, he heard the sound of licking and her saying, "I know girl. It's no fun being cooped up in one place. Especially when you want to run free."

When he was a couple of feet away, he could see that C.J. was holding a bowl of what he assumed was molasses, Calamity's favorite treat. "Now, what are you two ladies talking about this early in the morning?" The other horses started to nicker when they heard his voice.

They both looked over at him, then Calamity went back to licking the bowl clean. "We're just commiserating about our injuries. She seems to think you've been slipping me her horse tranquilizers."

"Now Calamity, would I do that to C.J.?" He stood behind C.J. and she leaned back against him. Calamity brought her head up and turned it to look at Houston, then nickered and nodded her head.

She said softly, "See, she knows." Then C.J. addressed Calamity, "I know, girl, but that's what men do. They tell us it's for our own good, as if we're not clever enough to figure that out for ourselves." The bowl, finally empty, was sat on the little shelf by the stall door, then C.J. scratched Calamity's cheek and jawline.

Houston stepped back and to the side so she could see him, putting his hands on his hips and adopting a mock hurt tone, "And here I was gonna to bring you into work today."

C.J. gave him the side eye, "See if you can stop me, Mr. Houston."

He stepped in, put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, "If you weren't injured, I would sure have fun tryin'." Then he kissed her, but stopped and asked, "You're not going to fall asleep during this kiss like you did during vespers last night, are you? Because Will came out before I realized you were asleep and is never going to let me live it down."

She smiled, "While I'm on these drugs, I can't promise anything." Then she kissed him again. She pulled back and added, "So why don't you let _me_ decide when to take them? I mean, unless you have some sort of Prince Charming complex."

He smirked, "Oh, I don't think you qualify as 'Snow White' anymore." Her jaw dropped to a shocked look as she inhaled deeply and pushed away from him, and without another word, turned and walked out of the barn. He looked over at Calamity, while scratching his head, "Ooo, boy. I stepped in it this time Calamity. I better go." Calamity nodded her head, then he turned and followed C.J. out of the barn. He strode up behind her saying, "I meant you're more of a 'Sleeping Beauty'."

"Mmm, hmm." Was her reply.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%

It was a busy morning at Houston Investigations. Houston and C.J. had flown into the office before sunrise, then he flew back out to the ranch to pick up Will. Will would then drive the van back out to the ranch and pick up his father and his nurse, after the shift change, and bring them into the office. C.J. had ordered breakfast in and it was just arriving as Houston came back upstairs from the gym, and Chris was arriving for the day.

Chris was happy to see C.J. and gave her a gentle hug. Then she gushed, "I'm so glad you're okay! Are you sure it's not too soon for you to be back at work? I was going to visit you at the hospital, but Mr. Houston said to wait. Sit down. Can I get you anything? Everyone's been asking about you. Mr. Houston put a bed downstairs in case you need to lie down. Are the lights too bright? Murray had maintenance put dimmers on all of the lights, so if it's too bright just let me know."

"Hold up there Chris, you don't want to wear her out in the first five minutes you're here, now do ya'?" Houston gently admonished.

C.J. put her hand on his arm, and was smiling at Chris' enthusiastic welcome back, "Thank you, Chris. The lights are fine for now, Houston adjusted them before he left to pick up Will. Have some breakfast. I need to get started on BABY." She chose to walk through her office to get to BABY because she was feeling a little unsteady, but she didn't want Houston to know. She decided she was going to put her 'big girl panties' on and try to plow through today.

A few minutes later, Houston joined her on the couch and reached to put his hand on hers. "You need to eat." She was about to maintain that she would later, but he was ahead of her, "Yes, now. And when was your last dose of pain meds?"

She rolled her eyes as she pulled her hand away from his, as she stated, "When the nurse gets here, I will take my next dose."

"You dodged the question there, Miss Parsons." He gave her the look.

She let out an exasperated sigh, "I took it at four this morning, before I went out to visit Calamity, but you were sleeping and missed it."

He calculated, "Then you should be taking the next dose now."

She stopped typing, "Yes, but you're the one who put the nurses in charge of the medicine. I can't help that she won't be here for another hour."

It irritated him that she was right and was working on how they would manage this situation the next time. In the meantime, he stood up, "Come on. Come sit at the table and eat with me and Chris." And then quickly added, "Don't argue. You can continue what you were doing _after_ you've eaten."

Another exasperated sigh came out and she asked, "Has anyone ever told you that you have a horrible case of 'Only Child Syndrome'?" Then she stood up and made her way over to the poker table.

He eyed her over his shoulder and said, "I'm not going to dignify _that_ with an answer. But I will say that you and I will make sure that we have more than one child to avoid it." Then he went to get her something to drink.

C.J. was about to say something when Chris chimed in, "Awwww! I'm so glad you guys are planning a family."

C.J. just shook her head at the pair of them, sat down at the table and started nibbling on her toast. She really wanted coffee, but was going to swear off the stuff until after the baby was born, assuming she ever did decide to let him get her pregnant. And that certainly wasn't going to happen while she was on all of the pain meds.

After they ate, she was back at BABY running down the whereabouts of all of the females they had ever played a part in arresting, but they couldn't rule out those whose family members they helped put away either. As she looked at the faces, none of them were setting off any alarm bells in C.J.'s head. The pain was starting to come back, so she looked at her watch to see how much longer it would be, but they should have been at the office almost an hour ago. LA traffic was a bear this time of the morning. She decided to use the breathing techniques Mellissa had shown her from the Lamaze classes she and her husband took before the birth of all of their children. It helped for a little while but by the time Will, Uncle Roy and Susan, Roy's nurse, came in, it was past the point of breathing through it.

When Roy wheeled over to look at what was up on BABY's screen, he could see that C.J. was not doing well. _"My dear, I think you need to take a break for a few minutes." _

Houston, who had been looking through old files while waiting for them to arrive, was over behind the bar getting the juice back out for them when he heard Roy's comment. He stopped what he was doing and got to C.J. as fast as he could. He saw that she was looking a bit peaky, and agreed, "Yeah, let's get you downstairs so you can lie down for a little while." Then he looked over at Susan, who was at the table, "Do you have her pain meds?"

Susan had been in her bag and was pulling them out, "Yes, right here." She set about opening the bottles and tipping the pills into her hand. She looked up to see C.J. bolting for her office.

C.J. managed to make it to the lady's room just in time, but then struggled to do anything else as even the dim light was suddenly too much for her. She felt hands in her hair, holding it back gently.

Chris said sympathetically, "Aw, C.J. Is it the pain or the light?"

C.J. whimpered, "Both, at the moment." Then the lights went even dimmer. "That's a little better, thank you."

Susan said soothingly, "When you're ready, I have your meds right here." After several minutes, C.J. managed to stand, brush her teeth and rinse her mouth out, then take her pills. "There ya' go. Okay, we're going to have to trust you in the future with this because clearly the delay in taking these just makes it worse for you." C.J. nodded, "Alright, you stay here and I will make sure all of the lights are dimmed to this level out there, okay?"

C.J. looked at Chris and admitted, "I need to lie down." Chris nodded and opened the door for her. C.J. stepped out of the bathroom, moved to walk through her office, but the lights were too bright, so she turned to go the other way around, but that seemed to bright, too, so she froze not knowing which direction to go.

Chris told her, "It's okay, close your eyes and I'll lead you there." Then she put a hand in the middle of C.J.'s back and held C.J.'s right hand with her other.

After several arduous minutes of making their way downstairs, C.J. sat on the bed. She had heard everyone talking in hushed tones, but didn't bother trying to make out what they were saying. Without opening her eyes, she requested, "Would you get me a glass of water, please?" She heard her leave the room and then she felt Houston's strong hand take hers and she slowly opened her eyes. The gym was faintly lit, but she could make out his face as he kneeled on the floor in front of her, her favorite face in the whole world, and she sighed, "I don't like this, Houston. I want to work. I want to figure out who did this to me."

He took the glass from Chris, and she went up the stairs. He handed the water to C.J. and watched her drink. "I know you don't. I don't either." He took the glass from her and sat it on the floor, then guided her to lie down while saying, "And we will figure out who did this to you, but for right now I want you to lie down, close your eyes and relax. When the medicine is doing its job, then come back upstairs. Okay?" She nodded, then he kissed her on the forehead, and said, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she sighed and shut her eyes.

%%%%%%%%%

_C.J. was sitting in a chair facing the spa and the bar. She could feel the cord that held her wrists tied behind her. She struggled against them, but she knew she had to do it quietly or she would hear. She was on the phone talking to, no, threatening Houston. C.J. knew she had to get away or she would be killed by the one who really loves him. Suddenly her hands were free, and she started running for the elevator, but it felt like her legs were in quicksand, so hard to move. She had to keep moving or she would be killed. Then, Elaine was beside her, laughing at a joke. An engine revved, look, it's her! Jump!_

%%%%%%%

Houston and Will were at the file cabinet in the reception area. Will commented while looking at one of the files, "Gee, Matt, you really make the prettiest women mad at you. Have you ever had an unattractive woman in your office?"

As Houston was about to reply he heard the faint sounds of footsteps moving up the stairs from the gym. "It sounds like Sleeping Beauty is awake." He stepped over to look, but was horrified when he realized she was running; running fast. He dropped his file and started up the steps to go after her, but she was lightning quick. He screamed her name, but she had the doors to the helipad thrown open before he had even reached the stairs to the gym. He jumped down the stairs and ran but by the time he reached the helipad, she had jumped over the wall and disappeared from his sight and his life. A mixture of dread and revulsion filled him as he ran to the wall anyway, yelling her name; knowing there would be nothing he could do as she was already on the pavement below. He could only think of one thing.

%%%%%%%

C.J. awoke in extreme agony. Her body hurt, the light was making her head scream, but where was she? She ventured a peek and all she could see was the side of the building and the sidewalk below. She froze and searched with her right hand for the bar that held up the stiff metal netting they had placed there to catch anything Chase might have thrown over the helipad wall the week she babysat for Melissa. She had landed on one of the bars with her midsection and she didn't know if the pain was from the previous bruise or if this was a new injury. She could hear yelling from above and below.

Houston's barely controlled, panicked voice was the one she focused on, "C.J.?!"

"Houston! I'm scared." There was no mistaking the terror in her voice.

He had to talk loudly to be sure that she could hear him, "I gotta admit, I'm scared, too. You hold on. We're callin' the fire department and going to try to figure out a way to get you back up."

She closed her eyes tight against the light and the sights of the street below. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and the adrenaline kicked in to high gear. But she had to tell him what she remembered, "Houston, I know who hit me. It was Meredith Brown."

As the adrenaline coursed through him, having just seen the woman he loves and his best friend jump over the helipad wall. Thinking he had just lost her forever, then the relief he felt when he saw her on the netting. With all of that he couldn't place the name, "Who?" He wanted to keep her talking, mostly so he could hear her voice.

Her voice was unsteady, but she reminded him, "Meredith Brown. Erin Brown. The woman who stalked you."

He suddenly recalled who C.J. was talking about when she said 'Erin'. He asked, "Are you sure? She's been locked up for a long time now at Cabrillo." She was in a padded cell the last time he saw her with no way of escape.

She assured him, "It was her." She peeked again and quickly closed her eyes, while tightening her grip on the pole. Her logical brain knew it would do her no good if the barricade gave way, but her survival brain didn't care. She managed to say, "Her hair was only blonde on the ends, the rest of it was black." She added with a touch of humor, "I guess they don't let them color their hair in the institution."

At that moment, he couldn't recall if the carpet matched the curtains, and he really didn't care, so he just assured her, "Alright, I'll have Uncle Roy check on that." He heard the sirens in the distance. "C.J.?" He wasn't sure what he wanted to say but he wanted to keep her focused on him.

"Yeah?" was her shaky reply. She was trying to figure out a way to remove her sling without moving too much, but nothing came to her. If she could somehow stand up, he might be able to reach down and pull her up by her good arm.

Then a thought popped in his head and he went with it, "I know this is going to seem a little unorthodox, but… Will you marry me?" It wasn't the romantic setting he had planned on, but he really needed her to know how serious he was about her being with him always.

Had she heard him correctly? Her confused question to him was, "What?"

He explained, "C.J., even in the midst of chaos we have always had each other. We support each other. You've always let me be me, even when I'm doing dangerous things. I know I don't deserve you, but you're my best friend and I love you like no other. So, I want to know if you'll marry me."

She could hear Chris' "Awwwwww!" even down on the netting, and it made C.J. smile. Suddenly, she wasn't afraid. Suddenly, they were having one of their many conversations, so she said, "You sure know how to woo a girl, Houston."

He smiled, "It's one of my many charms."

Even with her eyes closed tight, she rolled her eyes and responded, "As is your timing."

He said half joking, half seductively, "Oh, darlin', you _know_ I got my timin' down."

She chuckled and added earnestly, "Can't wait for you to show me again." A gust of wind hit and startled her. Her grip tightened and another stream of adrenaline hit her, but, mostly, she wanted to know, "When did you decide this?"

"I've been thinking about it for a while now, but it really hit home when I saw you in the ER. You were talking about going back to _my_ ranch, _my_ house, _my_ room, _my_ bed, and it felt… wrong. I want it to be _our_ ranch, _our_ house, _our_ room, _our_ bed." He paused to let all of that sink in for a moment, "So wadda ya' say? Will you marry me?"

Just then the firemen showed up and made Houston step back. They worked quickly and methodically to lower two firemen the five or so feet down to her. It took them a little longer because of her previous injuries to get her in a harness and back up and over the ledge. The paramedics assessed her and decided she would need to go to the hospital for x-rays to be sure none of her ribs were broken.

They loaded her onto the stretcher and were wheeling her out, when Chris made them stop, "Wait! I want to know what the answer is!"

The firemen and paramedics looked confused, but Houston took C.J.'s hand and asked, "Yes, what _is_ the answer?"

She grinned, "What _was_ the question?" She thought she'd give him an out in case what he said was just in the heat of the moment, even though she knew deep down it wasn't.

He dropped to one knee, and produced a ring box from his coat pocket. He opened it and there was a beautiful oval shaped, 3 carat emerald surrounded by 1 carat diamonds in a platinum band, "Will you marry me?"

Tears immediately sprang to her eyes, "Yes, of course I'll marry you." Chris and Susan were smiling and crying, and even Uncle Roy and Will teared up. Though, later, Will would say he just had some dust in his eyes and they should really get the AC ducts checked.

He stood up and placed the ring on her finger, then kissed her like there was no one else in the room or on the planet.

%%%%%%%%%

The day had been a full one even before noon. There were medical tests that revealed two fractured ribs in addition to further bruising. There were many questions from the police, as well as, a psychological evaluation to be sure it wasn't a suicide attempt. When the psychologist allowed Houston into the room, he suggested that she seek treatment for her night terrors, and, much to her surprise, Houston said that they would both be going to therapy as soon as they found someone. He had always had a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" attitude when it came to psychiatry and psychology. She made a note to ask him what changed his mind some other time, because at the moment she just wanted to get home, to their home. As soon as she was released, Houston drove her back to the office, then flew her back to the ranch.

There was a smear of grease from the netting on her face and arms that she couldn't rest until she had showered and washed off. As she stood in the shower letting the water cascade down her head and face, being mindful to keep the bruised and fractured left side of her body from entering the stream of water too much because even after a week it felt like shards of glass were poking her when she did, she heard the shower door open. She smiled because she knew when she opened her eyes he would be right there, and she anticipated his hands caressing her gently. But when she opened her eyes, she saw that his were not full of desire, but of fear and pain. His body and emotions were as naked as she was. She stepped to him and caressed his face, "Baby, what's wrong?"

He struggled to say the words, because he wasn't fully sure of what her reaction would be, but she needed to hear his heart. The tears started to roll down his cheeks, and he was a man that rarely cried. Even when his father passed, he didn't cry until the burial. "C.J., I…"

She lifted both her hands to cradle his face, and implored softly, "Tell me. Tell me." Her left shoulder started throbbing immediately, but she forced herself to ignore it and focus on the man standing in front of her. The man she loved, who was clearly in absolute anguish. She gave him tiny kisses on his lips and she was relieved when he didn't pull away, but leaned down a little more to let her.

He decided to say it all at once, "When you went over the wall today. The moments before I realized you hadn't died…" He cherished the way she was holding him and kissing him when he had to pause before he could get the rest of it out. His voice was shaky as he continued, "I knew that if I had seen you on the pavement below… that I would have gone and gotten my gun and…" He couldn't finish the sentence, but he didn't need to. She knew what he meant.

She was horror struck at the thought and she began to cry, too. The thought of him doing that was too much to take in. All she could do was put her fingers to his lips while softly and rapidly saying, "No, no, no, no…" and then softly pleaded, "Take it back. Take it back." She could see his emotions were overwhelming him and they sunk to the floor of the shower together. He rested his head on her chest and sobbed. She held him as tightly as she could. She kissed his head; her tears flowing as freely as his. Her words came from the logical part of her brain, she shakily cried, "You would have been okay, Houston. Just like after your fiancé was killed, and when you thought Will had been killed, and when your Daddy died. You would have found a way and you would have gone on."

He lifted his head to look at her, his chocolate brown eyes searching her hazel ones as he explained, "C.J., the only reason I got through any of those terrible things was because I had _you_. _You_ are my constant, C.J. How could I possibly live without my constant?" She was about to interject, but he continued, "You have balanced every equation in my life since we met. I cannot, I _will not_ live without you." He tried, and failed, to choke back a sob.

She tenderly shushed him, and pulled his head back down on her chest, and began to rock gently with him until he was calm. By that time, the water had run cold and the drowsiness from the pain meds had really started to kick in. So, after they helped dry each other off in the midst of passionate kisses, he guided her to the bed. What they had shared in the shower was the most intimate experience that either of them had ever had with any other person in their entire lives, and the love making that followed cemented them together, body and soul. They clung tightly to each other as they drifted off to sleep.


	25. Chapter 25

Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. This is a long one, but I won't be posting for a while – have some medically whatnots I have to focus on, but I promise you I will come back and finish this story. This story never leaves my head and I have a bunch of stuff I want to get to with our couple. So enjoy! :)

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Except for the couple of interruptions for C.J. to take her medicine and to put her sling back on, the night was a good one. No bad dreams for either of them. The sunlight was just peeking through, when she awoke to find that Houston wasn't in bed. She looked at the clock, 6:30am. Just about the time the day nurse would need to be let onto the property. She was sorer than she anticipated from her ribs. She went to the bathroom, lifted her blue silk nightgown, to see that the bruises from the car hitting her the previous week were starting to turn that lovely shade of yellow-green. The ones on her ribs, however, were back to deep purple. She realized that she hadn't rewrapped them after their shower last night, and started looking for the Ace bandage when Houston came in.

He was all smiles; his mind hadn't been this clear in ages. It was as if his confession to her last night in the shower and the lovemaking that followed freed him of some unseen burden he had been carrying around. He gave her a cheery, "Good morning, beautiful. Don't worry, I already let Sally and Pecora through the gate." He watched her rummaging through the cupboard, "What are ya' lookin' for?" He couldn't help but note at how beautiful she was, even with no makeup and her hair a bit askew.

She took in a breath, then let it out slowly, "An Ace bandage to wrap my ribs, but I can't seem to…" She had to hold onto the cabinet door to steady herself.

He gently helped her stand, "Here, I'll find it. You sit up here." And he pointed to the counter. He studied her face as she sat down, "Are the lights bothering you?"

She gave a noncommittal shake of the head, then felt the blood rushing from her head, "I think I should lie down."

He helped her to the bed to lie down, then went to look for the bandage. He found it and returned to her, "Do you think you can sit up long enough for me to put it on?" He could tell she was focused on her breathing, so he set the bandage down and laid down on the bed with her. He had to tell her something and knew she wouldn't like it; but there was no way he was going to let her go to the office until she was healed and he wouldn't have to worry about her jumping over the wall again. He was gently stroking her face when he started, "C.J…"

She interrupted, her tone slightly defeated, "I know, Houston." She kept her eyes closed.

Her statement surprised him a little. Could she really read him that well? He asserted, "You don't even know what I was going to say."

She let out a heavy sigh, "That I can't come to the office today or until..." She waved her hand away, "I know, and I understand why." She wasn't at all fond of the idea of waking to find herself on the metal netting again. "I don't like it, but I understand why." She then relished the feeling of his whiskers on her cheek when he leaned over to kiss her. "Are you going out to Cabrillo today?"

"I was thinking about taking Hoyt with me, because if she did get out…" He remembered the crazed look in Erin's blue eyes when she had come into the office and stabbed him then ran out, as well as the look in her eyes when she was about to stab C.J. but he shot her in the hand before she could.

With her eyes still closed, C.J. switched to her attorney tone, "She shouldn't have been let out without warning you first, not to mention she would have then been moved to jail to serve out her sentence for killing the guard." She shook her head a little, "Something's not right with the whole thing, Houston."

"I agree." He kissed her cheek again. "Do you think you're ready to sit up?" She nodded and he helped her to sit with her feet on the floor, then to remove her nightgown. He kneeled on the floor in front of her and got to work. As he wrapped her ribs, he couldn't help but notice the part that wasn't bruised still had a lovely tanned tone, so he inquired, "You ever going to tell me when and where this no-tan-lines sunbathing takes place." He flashed her one of his devilish grins.

She was focused on her breathing, but that made her smile, "Maybe after we're married."

When he leaned in close to reach behind her to pass the bandage from one hand to the other, he gave her a playful kiss on the lips, then stated, "Speaking of which, we need to pick a date. Do you have one in mind? I was thinking Thanksgiving." He wanted to marry her sooner, rather than later.

When he leaned in again, she kissed him a little longer then debated, "Hmmm, we do have a lot to be thankful for, but that seems a little too soon to get a church lined up and for people to be able to come."

He was going to say that she pulled off his wedding to Elizabeth in less time, but then thought better of it. "We don't have to have a lot of people there." He kissed her again, this time on the neck.

As he kissed, she moaned softly, then asked, "Do you really think Mama and Vince would ever forgive us for not inviting them? Not to mention the folks back in Texas."

He paused his kiss long enough to pull back and look her in the eyes, "No, I suppose you're right." Then he captured her mouth in another, longer and deeper, kiss as he finished wrapping the bandage. He only stopped kissing her because he needed to see what he was doing to get the clips attached.

She rested her forehead on his head and was running her fingers through his hair while he was fastening the clips on the bandage, and she mused, "What about New Year's Eve?"

His hands landed gently on her hips, and he nodded, "I like that idea. People will be off for the holidays. Starting the new year as man and wife? I like it." He kissed her again, then slowly trailed kisses down to her right breast, as the left one was covered by the sling.

She was enjoying his attentions, and added, "Plus, then you won't forget what day our anniversary falls on." She then reached under his arm and pulled him up as she laid back on the bed and he was captured between her legs.

He leaned up on his elbows and said, "Hey, now. Are you sure you're ready for that again? I don't want…" He didn't get to finish because she kissed him.

She explained to him between kisses, "Scientists have found that all of the hormones that are released during sex, and more specifically, orgasms, are known to dull pain. I think it's what the doctor ordered." She kissed him again as she started to unbutton his jeans with her right hand.

He broke this kiss and looked into her eyes, "Do you know how deep inside you I want to be right now?"

She paused, then answered with a twinkle in her eye, "Hmmm, sufficiently?"

He rubbed against her, causing her to moan pleasurably, "Guess again." It had been a little over a week since they had last made love, not counting last night, and his little cowboy was suddenly ready to get to work.

"Perfectly?" was her reply, his response was to kiss her neck. She moaned, "Come on, cowboy, I want to make love with my fiancé again."

The little cowboy now had command of most of the blood supply, but Houston's brain managed to ask, "Should I get a condom?" It wasn't even on his mind last night.

She shook her head and rasped, as he ran his tongue from the nape of her neck to her ear, "It's okay. It's okay, I'm still on the pill." In no time flat he was undressed, and they were once again joined body and soul.

When they were satiated and snuggled together, he said, "I think we need to get downstairs for some breakfast before I leave for the office."

She remembered she wasn't going to get to go with him and it upset her, which she knew was childish of her, but she couldn't help it. After she bit her lip, she mentally shook off that feeling she sighed, "Are you taking Roy and Will with you?"

He kissed her head and said, "Yeah, I'm going to have them working on BABY while I drag Hoyt out to Cabrillo."

%%%%%%%%%

After they dressed and made their way to the kitchen, Will greeted them with a knowing smile that made C.J. blush. He had been about to knock on the bedroom door to let them know that breakfast was ready, but he heard the sounds of them moaning, in the midst of a plethora of "I love you's" from both, and turned and promptly went back downstairs. He wanted to tease them and was going to ask some version of, "So how was the baloney pony ride?", but decided to ask a different question instead, "So, C.J., are the lights bothering you today?"

Houston looked over to her as he sat down at the table and poured himself a cup of coffee, because he wanted to know the answer, too. C.J. had to think about it, the curtains were partially opened but she didn't have a headache, nor did she feel one coming on. She answered him with a little smile, "No, not at the moment."

Will snickered, then murmured into his coffee cup, "Wow, Matt, I had no idea that your dick had medicinal powers."

Houston had a cup of coffee in hand and chuckled, "Jealous?"

C.J. turned to go to the refrigerator, shaking her head. Pecora had a slightly reproachful look on her face, so Roy admonished them, _"Boys, there are ladies present who don't want to hear that kind of talk."_

Will took an innocent stance, "Whaaat? He's a private investigator. They call them 'dicks'." He and Houston exchanged smirks.

"_Enough."_ Was his father's response to the Texas Terrors. Then he changed the subject, _"When are we heading to the office?"_

Houston calculated, "I need to call Hoyt, then Vinny D', because I want more men around the perimeter, I need to be sure Bo and Lamar are up to speed…" He looked at his watch, "Let's be ready to roll outta here in an hour." Then he looked at Pecora, "Pecora, C.J.'s going to be staying home for a while, so can I trust you to keep her in line? Make sure she takes her medicine on time?" C.J. turned and glowered at him, so he puckered his lips and kissed the air, she shook her head and went back to pouring herself some orange juice.

She smiled and nodded, "Yes, sir. Miss C.J. and I will get along just fine." She had heard all about the incident at the office and was glad that they were smart enough not to test C.J.'s guardian angel again so soon.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Later that morning, Houston and Hoyt were aghast when the doctor told them that Meredith's (a.k.a. Erin's) cell was empty and apparently had been for at least two weeks. Hoyt bellowed, "And just how did that go unnoticed by your staff for even a day?!"

Knowing she was kept in a padded cell, Houston jumped in, "She's a violent mental patient and NO ONE knew she was gone? Was no one concerned that she hadn't been given food or water or…"

Hoyt finished, "Or bathed? What kind of place are you running here?" The lead doctor and the warden were about to defend themselves, but Michael cut him off, "Never mind, I think we know. I'm calling this in right now and you had better get good lawyers, because the abuse and neglect of the mentally ill will not go down well with any judge."

"And considering this is the same place that Castanos escaped from a few years ago, your track record has now moved from being on shaky ground to drowning in quicksand," Houston added angrily.

It took most of the morning and afternoon dealing with the situation before Houston finally arrived back at the office with boxes of surveillance tapes under his arms. He greeted Chris on the way past her desk, then went up and put the boxes on the poker table. He could see Uncle Roy and Will were working hard on BABY. "So, what'd ya' guys come up with?"

Will turned to look at him, "It took us a while to get what little we did get. C.J. really does have the touch with this machine."

Houston's voice was slightly irritated, "Yeah, well, she's not coming to the office any time soon, so we're going to have to make the best of it."

"We tried to get the bank information, but it was a no go." Will walked up to the poker table and started rifling through the tapes in the box.

Roy added,_ "I'm afraid we really didn't get far. We called C.J. and she tried to walk us through it, but it really would be easier if she were here."_

Houston shook his head, he looked out to the helipad and in his mind's eye he saw her jump the wall. All he could manage on the subject was, "I can't…" So, he changed topics, "Hoyt made us copies of the surveillance tapes from the past month. Now, they cover most of the exits and hallways, so we should be at least able to get an idea of what she looks like now. Then we'll get a copy of that photo out to Vinny D's men so they know who to look out for." He looked over at Roy, "How did C.J. sound when you talked to her?"

"_She sounded good. Said the light was just starting to bother her a bit, and she was going to go lie down. That was about an hour ago." _He loved how much Houston loved C.J. It reminded him of his love for Flo, but not in a way that made him sad. In a way that made him happy they finally came to their senses.

Sally added with a smile, "And Aunt Pecora said that C.J. was cooperating and taking her medicine, but it's hard for anyone to tell my Auntie no." Everyone chuckled at that.

Houston looked at his watch, "You know what? Since it's already 4:00, let's go ahead and wrap things up and head back to the ranch, so we aren't late for the next nurse. Tomorrow I'll fly in that way I can stay later if I need to."

Roy offered, _"Maybe we can leave some of the tapes at the ranch for C.J. to go over. It'll make her feel better if she's working."_

Houston nodded, "Good idea, Uncle Roy. That'll also help us get through the tapes twice as fast. I need to talk to Murray, and our security team, then we can go."

%%%%%%%%

For the next few days, C.J. acted coolly towards Houston, but he figured it was a combination of the pain from her ribs and that she couldn't go to the office. Add to that the fact that her light sensitivity came and went unpredictably, which would make anyone grumpy. The guys managed as best as they could working BABY at the office, but all agreed that C.J. had "the touch". While she stayed at home, she watched the videos and marked the places of note.

She had been in bed when the guys got home, so the next morning she sat them down and showed them the last time Meredith Brown had left her cell and her exit from the building, "I've looked at all of the tapes with this time stamp from the entrances and the person who let her out knew where the cameras were and how to hide their face."

"_But why would she go with them? It would have to be someone she knew, right?"_ Roy asked.

Houston sipped his coffee and thought about it, "Not if they were offering her a way out. She was crazy, but not stupid." He spent many moments since she attacked him and C.J. regretting his one-night stand with her. He could tell it still bothered C.J. too because she was giving him frosty glances.

C.J. chimed in, "True. She did manage to fool the doctors and nurses at the hospital into thinking she belonged there, so she could steal drugs and party with her boyfriend." She was trying not to, but she was shooting Houston an icy stare anytime she looked in his direction.

"She killed that guy, too, right?" Will asked Houston. He sensed the tension between his cousin and C.J., but wasn't sure what was going on.

"Yeah, she likes stabbing people to death with a scalpel or a knife. The guard, her boyfriend, and she tried to do the same to me. It's one of the reasons Vinny D's guys are wearing bulletproof vests, if she comes at them, they'll have a fighting chance." Houston looked at his watch and said, "We had better get going to beat the traffic." But he had finally had enough and snapped, "What, C.J.?!"

Her lip curled a bit and she said coldly, "Nothing." Then she made her way to the kitchen and started clearing the table.

Roy, Will, and Amara, Roy's nurse, made their way through the kitchen and out the door as quickly as possible so the couple could have it out without an audience. Houston tried to remain calm when he repeated his question to her, but there was still an edge to his voice, "What, C.J.? And don't say nothing, because we both know it's something."

She looked at the cup in his hand then at him, and said flatly, "You promised."

He was baffled, "I promised what?" Why were women so hard to understand?

She couldn't believe that a private eye couldn't pick up on that clue, so her hand went to her hip as she explained, "You promised that you would give up coffee with me, until after the baby is born. That included the time before I got pregnant. But for these past few days, _you've_ been drinking coffee. So, then I have to wonder, what other promises will he break if he can't even do this simple one." It was a little thing really, but it had been irritating her to no end the last few days.

He shook his head in disbelief. He thundered, "Coffee?! You're mad about coffee?! Seriously?! We're trying to catch a murderer, C.J.! One who's after you and you're mad that I've been drinking coffee?!" He stood there giving her a defiant look.

It was her turn to shake her head in disbelief, "I should have known better." How could he not see all that she was giving up for him to have a healthy baby? _"Typical man,"_ she thought. Suddenly her head hurt and the light was becoming too bright. She felt the emotions coming on, too. Her tone switched to a defeated one and she told him, "Just go to the office." Then she walked past him and went upstairs.

He stormed outside and to the helicopter, as he took off, he could see the van was pulling out of the gate and Pecora's nephew's car was pulling in. What he didn't see was that across the road, hiding up the hill in the scrub brush was Meredith.

%%%%%%%%

As the guys were working on BABY all morning, trying to get the bank information on everyone who worked at Cabrillo so they could see if anyone had made any large deposits that would indicate a payoff.

Houston was pacing. He had told them about their argument. He finally broke his silence and said, "I mean, can you believe that was what she was upset about?"

Will and Roy both said, "Yes" respectively. Roy elaborated on his answer, _"You both agreed to not drink coffee. She kept up her end of the deal."_

Houston was still in disbelief, "It's such a little thing to be upset about. And if it was bothering her, why didn't she say something before?"

Will was done hearing about it so he said, "Women, huh? Whaddayagonnado?"

Houston became determined, "I'm gonna call her, that's what I'm gonna do." The other two exchanged looks but knew better than to try and stop him. He picked up the phone and dialed the ranch, he said politely, "Hello, Pecora. Let me speak to C.J. please… Where is she?" He cursed under his breath, "How long ago did she leave? If she gets back there, tell her I said to stay put."

Before Houston could get a word out, Uncle Roy was saying via his communicator, _"Do NOT go looking for her. Let her do whatever it is she's doing. She'll be back at the ranch when we get there this evening." _He, too, was done hearing about it.

Houston countered, "There's a crazy woman after her! I can't just stay here and hope that Erin doesn't manage to kill her this time." Houston picked up the phone and dialed, and after a pause said, "Vinny, it's Houston. Yeah, I'm gonna need you to get a couple of men over to C.J.'s house right away…" His face fell, "Whadda ya' mean? So, this was planned?" Houston's tone changed from irritated to remorseful, "Oh… No, I completely forgot. Which… Do you have the address?" He grabbed a note pad and started writing. After he hung up, he stood there with his eyes closed, taking deep breaths.

Will offered, "Let me guess, she had a doctor's appointment."

He heaved a heavy sigh, "Yeah, do you two think…"

"Go. And be sure to apologize without arguing. We'll see you later." Will decided he'd rather try to muddle through this without Houston, than to have him there moping.

%%%%%%%

The nurse let Houston through, and he shook hands with the body guards, Raul and Jeremy, who were waiting outside the exam room. Neither of them looked comfortable, but kept an air of serious professionalism about them. When Houston entered the dimly lit room, he saw C.J. on the flat exam table, on her side, curled in a ball. He went to her and kissed her forehead and stroked her hair. Her breathing was ragged and her body was trembling a little. "Hey, honey, how long you been like this?"

She didn't open her eyes, as she managed a quiet, "I don't know." Then went back to her breathing exercise. "The doctor said I can leave when I'm ready."

Just then Dr. Ewles entered and closed the door behind him. He put out his hand and said, "You must be the fiancé." Houston shook his hand, nodded, then went back to stroking C.J.'s hair. "She's having a bad time at the moment, but that's to be expected. It's only been a little over a week since the accident. As I was telling Miss Parsons, it can take a couple of months or more for the brain to recover from this kind of injury."

He paused his stroking to ask, "Is there anything we should be doing?"

"We have her on the best medicines right now, but I would like to see her start to taper off on the pain meds starting on Monday. I gave her a paper with the plan, and which over the counter medications she can supplement with. Then I'll want to see her back in two weeks."

Houston started to ask C.J., "Where is…"

But she responded, "In my purse."

Houston looked back at Dr. Ewles, "Is there anything else we should or shouldn't be doing to help the healing process?"

Dr. Ewles gave his usual, "She needs to listen to her body." Then added, "She told me about the dark room you have set up and that sounds like a great way to give her brain a rest when she's feeling like this. I don't want her to do any jogging or running; a walk is fine, but nothing with any bouncing motions." Then he looked at Houston with a raised eyebrow, "And that would include vigorous sexual intercourse, too."

C.J. snickered at that and that made Houston grin. He had a host of remarks running through his head, but landed on, "I promise we'll take it easy."

%%%%%%

As much as it pained him, he let the Raul and Jeremy drive his 1980 Sparks Turbo Roadster "Excalibur" back to the ranch. He would have had them drive C.J.'s car, but she really needed to lie down and his car didn't have backseat, nor did the front seats recline enough. He knew how they felt, getting to drive such a car is a once in a lifetime event for most people, and their barely contained smiles as they promised to be careful with it showed their enthusiasm. He had to remind them that Vinny D' would be none too pleased to have to pay to repair, or heaven forbid, replace the car.

After one quick stop half way home, so that the body guards could switch places, they made it back to the ranch. C.J. found her way into the house and into the darkened closet while Houston was being thanked profusely for letting them drive it. She awoke, how much later she wasn't sure, to find Houston lying right next to her. She asked sleepily, "What time is it?"

He looked at his watch and replied, "A little after 2:00. What would you like to eat?"

She let out a slow breath, "I'm not…"

He calmly cut her off, using his best 'I love you, so don't argue with me' tone, "You need to take your medicine and eat something. What would you like to eat?"

"Toast with peanut butter." Was her reply after long consideration. It really hadn't taken that long for her to decide, but she was enjoying the way he was stroking her hair and kissing her forehead; she wished they could stay like that forever.

He helped her up so she could use the bathroom while he made her lunch, and she quickly retreated back to the room because even the dim light was too much for her. She propped herself in the corner, keeping her eyes closed. When he came in, he left the door open the tiniest of cracks so he could see where he was going. He sat next to her and handed her the toast. After she took a bite, she mumbled a, "Thank you."

Houston kissed her forehead then said, "Welcome. We need to talk about some things." He wanted to take her hand but it had peanut butter toast in it so he settled for putting his hand on her thigh.

After a swallow, she agreed, "Yes, we do."

He began, "C.J., I don't want us to be one of those couples who have known each other forever, finally get married, then a year later get divorced, never to speak again."

She concurred, "I don't want that either."

He rubbed her thigh with his fingertips as he said, "So, let's make a deal that in the future, if either of us is doing something that is pissing the other one off, we will just _say_ it."

She opened her eyes a bit to look at him, "Tactfully and politely?"

He nodded, "Yes. Tactfully and politely, but we will not let it fester for days on end. I didn't even think about drinking the coffee. It was there, my mind was on a million other things, and I truly forgot about that promise. And I _am_ sorry for breaking that promise to you."

She gave him a peck on the lips, "I forgive you. And I'm sorry for not just saying something the first time I saw you take a sip." Then she took the last bite of her toast, and he handed her the pills and, after she put them in her mouth, a glass of water. After she swallowed, she finished the glass of water and handed it back to him, then put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

He took her hand in his and said, "Now, we need to talk about both of us getting therapy. We have both experienced horrible things, and, after your jump over the wall the other day, we clearly need to deal with it." He could feel there was a little peanut butter on her finger, so he lifted her hand and gently put her finger in his mouth to clean it off. He knew he'd feel the sizzle before he did it, and that's why he did it. He loved that sizzle between them.

It was an action that made the magnet energize inside her, but they were in the middle of a serious discussion, so she did her best to ignore it. She took in a deep breath then nodded, "No more brushing things under the rug."

He nodded too, and rested his head on hers, "Agreed. Do you think Carol might know of a therapist who is willing to be _very_ flexible with appointment times and places?"

"I'll call her and ask her." Then she decided she needed clarification, "You mean individual counseling, right?"

He let out a deep breath, "I think we'll both need individual, but couples counseling wouldn't be a bad idea either."

She nudged him with her body, and chortled, "Look at you."

He wasn't sure what was so amusing, "What?"

"Who would have thought that you would be such a modern 80's man and want couples counseling," she teased.

But he was serious, "What you and I have is _so_ important to me. More important than any 'don't need help from no one, pull yourself up by your own boot straps' cowboy attitude that I have."

She turned her head a little and kissed his arm, "Agreed. And we both need to work on our stubborn streaks. You more so than me."

Even though she couldn't see it, he raised an eyebrow, "How do you figure that?"

She squeezed his hand, and began earnestly, "I _know_ you're stubborn and that you're going to do exactly what you set out to do. So, I rarely try to stand in your way, but you…" She paused, and turned her head to put her chin on his shoulder, "You're used to going off and giving your attentions to your flavor of the month and not paying any attention to what I do outside of work. But now that I am the focus of those attentions, you're forgetting that I have friends and activities that didn't involve you. I made a whole host of decisions about my life and my body that didn't require any input from you. So, what you see as me being stubborn, is you finally noticing all of the choices that I make about my life on a day to day basis." Then she turned her head back to leaned it against his shoulder again.

He took several minutes and thought about that while he stretched and closed his fingers that were intertwined with hers. He told her softly, "I never looked at it that way. I guess we'll be giving our therapist a lot of ground to cover." He leaned over and kissed her on the side of the head, then placed his right hand on her lower abdomen and asked, "Now, when do you think we'll be putting a baby in here?"

She let go of his left hand and put her right hand on top of his, "Not until after I've stopped taking these meds and they've been out of my system for at least a month. I was thinking of waiting until after the wedding." She opened her eyes when she turned to look at him.

He kissed her tenderly, then said, "I guess I can wait that long."

She kissed him and said, "Good. And I think I need a nap now." She laid down on her side and stretched out her legs.

He helped her adjust the pillows so she was comfortable, covered her with the throw, then went out to make some phone calls.

%%%%%%

It had been a week of dead ends. No one at the institute appeared to have been paid off to allow the person who let Meredith go free into the building. They had distributed her photo to every cop, security firm, hotel/motel clerk, and Huggy Bear Brown-wannabes in the city and county. But they all knew she had probably changed her appearance, and was also most likely staying with whoever sprung her from Cabrillo. And whoever that was, as Roy put it, _"Was very shrewd, very shrewd indeed."_

Will was enjoying working side by side with his dad and his cousin. Roy encouraged him to take his resume up to Silicon Valley to see if he could get a tech job up there. Will wasn't so sure he wanted to be that far from them again. He was loving having family around, but his dating attempts weren't as successful as he had hoped. The ordeal that he went through in Vietnam and Cambodia left his dates a little nervous that he might snap. And several of them, in the middle of their dates, would suddenly remember him from the news and that he almost jumped off a building, then it would go downhill from there. Houston and C.J. offered to set him up with some single friends, but he didn't like the pressure that a fix-up brought with it. So, for now, he was focused on learning as much about BABY and how to get her to find all of the information like C.J. was able to.

But that last Friday in September, Roy stayed home because of a fever that came on quickly. It wasn't a high fever, but enough of a temp that Sally made the call to keep him home to monitor him closely and let him get some rest. C.J. was still staying home and doing well with weaning off the pain medicine. Her headaches were still coming and going, but today was a day that allowed her to be anywhere in the house so long as the light was dim. She had found a therapist who was willing to meet them either at home or at the office on short notice, and their first session as a couple was scheduled for the following Tuesday. Bo and Lamar had taken Houston's prized horse, the one he won in the chili cook off, to the vet for a checkup. Houston and Will took the chopper to the office so they could avoid LA rush hour traffic.

It was about mid-morning when C.J. heard a chime that she had only heard when the security system was first turned on. She sat on the couch and flipped through the cameras trying to find out who or what triggered the chime. She was on the cameras that were at the back of the property when she saw her. Meredith moving among the cattle, so that the guards wouldn't see her. She immediately got on the walkie-talkie to alert the guards, "Sentinel one, this is Legal Eagle do you copy?" She received static as a reply. She repeated her call several times, all the while keeping an eye on the cameras, but no one responded. She realized that she would have to go up the road to the gate to get the guards, but that would leave Roy, Sally and Pecora vulnerable if Meredith made it to the house before they got back.

Meredith had made it through the cattle and was hiding in a row of bushes, that C.J. used the camera to narrow in on. "Pecora, Sally, Roy! Come to the living room please." She quickly formulated a plan as they were joining her in the living room.

They came quickly, because they could hear the barely controlled panic in her voice. When they came into the living room, she pointed to the monitor, "This is Meredith. She's coming to kill me. I can't raise the guards on the walkie-talkie." She walked over to the door and retrieved her running shoes, all while saying, "I'm afraid if I go up to get them, she'll get into the house and harm all of you. So, this is what we're going to do." She looked at Sally as she dropped the shoes on the floor, and shoved her feet into them one at a time, "I need help getting my running shoes on." Sally immediately squatted down and started tying the laces up tight. C.J. continued telling them her plan, "I'm going to go outside and let her see me, then I will lead her away from the house."

They were about to protest, but she put her hand up then continued, "Pecora, I'm going to need you to take one of the cars and drive as fast as you can to the gate and bring the guards back here." Pecora nodded, the C.J. turned to Sally, "I'm going to have you call Houston to let him know what's going on. If he's at the office, it'll only take him 15 minutes to get here by chopper. Then call the police and let them know. I'll give you Lt. Hoyt's number, too. Then you and Roy lock yourselves in his room. Understand?" Sally nodded.

Everyone's attention was back to the monitors, and they saw that Meredith was at the second line of trees before the house. Pecora went out the door, then Roy offered, as C.J. was removing her sling, _"Don't get too far ahead of her. If she thinks she can't catch you, she'll turn back around."_

C.J. nodded solemnly, "Understood. Sally, there's a gun in the closet over there…" She pointed to the hall closet, "IF she does get in the house and in his room…" She hated to say the next part, "You shoot to kill, because she will not hesitate to kill both you and Roy. Understood?"

Sally nodded, "Understood." She went to the closet while C.J. took one last look to see where Meredith was then grabbed some sunglasses and headed out the door and walked slowly to the barn. She held her left arm against her body as if she still had the sling on.

It was another beautiful sunny So Cal day, which was not helping C.J., because a head ache was coming on fast, but the adrenaline started to flow keeping it at bay. She saw movement towards the barn from the tree line, then she stepped into the barn. She stopped at the first stall and started talking to the horse, Clyde. "Hey, big guy. How's it goin' today? Can I get you some sweet feed?" She smiled when all of the horses immediately came to their stall doors, stuck their heads out and began nickering. "So, _everyone_ wants some sweet feed? Alright, let me get it for you." She walked over to the grain barrel, opened it and scooped up some feed with the metal scoop. At that moment, Meredith entered the barn slowly, with a scalpel raised, and C.J. froze, planning her next move. She could almost hear Houston's voice, _"Keep her in front of you. Use the scoop to block the blade. Decide which exit is easiest to get to." _

Meredith lowered the blade a little and moved to the side opposite from C.J. She snarled, "There you are. I should have killed you the last time you little slut." C.J. didn't respond, so Meredith started a slow rant, "Ooohhh, I've thought a lot about you. How you said that you and Houston weren't 'like that', but you were doing him the whole time, weren't you? WEREN'T YOU?!" C.J. shook her head, "Don't you lie to me. I saw the pictures of you two playing football, on the hammock, making out IN THE POOL!"

C.J. gently inquired, "Where did you get photos?"

Meredith scowled, "Never you mind, missy. The point is you were doing that tattooed freak and my man at the same time." She had now stepped so she was in front of Calamity's stall.

C.J. was about to correct her on that point, but decided to just let it be. "I guess who ever showed you those pictures was the person who let you out?" As she said this, she took a half step toward the barn door.

"I'm not telling you _that_ either, but they hate you as much as I do. Maybe even more. I can't believe you didn't die when I hit you with the car…" Just then Calamity bit down hard on Meredith's shoulder, and C.J. threw the feed in her face, then turned and ran out of the barn leaving a screaming Meredith behind.

C.J. heard a horse scream and pivoted, then saw Meredith run out of the barn, so she turned back and started running up the road. Houston's red convertible was coming down the road but stopped, so C.J. kept running towards it. She could see there was no one in the car with Pecora. Pecora started to get out but C.J. said, "Get in and lock the door!" She ran past the car and Meredith wasn't too far behind her. C.J. could hear the sirens coming toward the ranch and the unmistakable sound of Houston's chopper almost over them.

Up in the chopper, Houston was trying to figure out a way to get between C.J. and Meredith, but they were too close to each other. Hoyt said into the megaphone, "Meredith Brown, you are surrounded, drop your weapon and lie down on the ground." It made Meredith look up momentarily, but then she continued chasing her prey. He looked at Houston, "She's going to get to C.J. before our guys can get to her."

Houston grinned a little, "No, she won't." Hoyt gave him a puzzled look, "She's never seen C.J. run. Say this 'Kick it into high gear, C.J.'" Hoyt did and immediately C.J. was a quarter mile up the road and at and through the gate the officers had opened. Meredith still pursued her and the officers all had their guns drawn.

A shot rang out, and Meredith hit the ground dead. Hoyt yelled into his walkie, "HOLD YOUR FIRE! HOLD YOUR FIRE!" When Houston landed the chopper, Hoyt jumped out, gun drawn, and approached the lifeless body, there was blood and brain matter spattered all over. The other officers approached, and he berated them, "Who fired that shot?! We wanted her alive!"

Everyone was shaking their heads and the Sargent in charge said, "None of my men fired their weapons, sir."

As they discussed police procedure, Houston ran behind one of the cop cars to find C.J. curled up in the fetal position, her face buried in her hands, her emerald engagement ring glinting in the sunlight. He could see she was clearly pain, and he wanted to scoop her up, but was afraid of hurting her more if he did. "Hey, honey, hey." He stroked her hair.

She managed to choke out through a sob, "Calamity. I think Meredith stabbed her. Go to Calamity."

One of the officers came around the car and Houston directed him, "Get her in your car and take her to the house."

"Shouldn't I call an ambulance?" He wondered aloud.

"No, just get her to the house." Then they all heard noises coming from the brush across the road, they looked to see Jeremy, one of the guards, crawling towards them covered in blood. At that moment, Houston was torn. He wanted to know what happened to the guards, but he also knew C.J. needed him to get her to the dark room and away from the danger that was still looming. When the officer called for backup, and half a dozen cops came running over, he knew he would have to find out later what went on. He gingerly picked C.J. up and started towards the house.

Hoyt saw him coming and was about to admonish him for walking through his crime scene but then saw the look on C.J.'s face and let him pass, putting his arm out to indicate he should take a wide path around the scene. Then he headed on up to the road to find out what was going on up there. Houston was glad to see that Pecora hadn't moved the car and was, in fact, still in it with the engine running. He opened the back door and slid inside with C.J. sitting in his lap. "Drive!" He said a little more harshly than he intended.

Pecora floored it and got to the house in under two minutes. Houston threw the door open and got out of the car as fast as he could, but the door was locked. Pecora informed him, "They're probably locked in your Uncle's room, and won't be openin' the door for nobody."

He looked at Pecora and said, "You're going to have to reach into my pocket to get the keys."

Her eyes widened a bit, but then she heard C.J.'s whimper, and steeled herself to reach into his pocket to grab the keys, then she opened the door, and let him pass her quickly on the way to the dark room. She went to Roy's bedroom door and knocked loudly; she hollered, "It's okay! Ya'll can come on out now! Sally, C.J.'s gonna need your help." A minute later Sally was opening the door and heading to the dark room. She was followed by Roy. A minute after that Houston ran out of the house and towards the barn.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Somewhere far away, a mysterious woman and man were having a phone conversation. The man growled, "You were wrong."

The woman, sighed then defended herself, "I wasn't _wrong_. I just thought she'd get the job done."

The man tapped the phone with his index finger, "Did you see the ring?"

She scoffed, "It means _nothing_."

The man growled again, "You'd better hope so, or you and I will both have hell to pay. And we both know who'll pay the higher price."


	26. Chapter 26

Hi! I just wanted to let you all know that I'm still dealing with my medically whatnots (which is a breast cancer diagnosis). I have a great doctor and team and we have a plan – I like a plan. But this story won't let me be, so I will continue to write more when I can. Thanks for all of the feedback and well-wishes!

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

C.J. awoke in the darkened closet, her head throbbed dully. Houston wasn't lying next to her, so she figured he must be helping Hoyt with the investigation of Meredith's shooting. She had no idea how long she had been in there. An hour or twelve, all she remembered was Sally giving her medicine saying something about calling the neurologist, and Houston coming in to check on her, as he stroked her hair, he was whispering in her ear that he loved her. She made her way to the door and opened it a crack and waited to see if the light would stab at her like it had earlier when she made a trip out to get something to eat and drink. She was grateful when it didn't cause any additional throbbing. After she went to the bathroom, she went to the kitchen to get herself a drink and to determine what time it was. The clock showed 7:00pm. She could see that no one was on the patio, so she went to Uncle Roy's room but no one was there. _"They must all be outside."_

She slipped on her shoes then stepped out the front door and looked around. She saw bright lights over the hill and thought that the investigation must still be going on. She looked over to the barn and the lights were on in there as well. She decided she wanted to know how Calamity was doing more than she wanted to know about Meredith, so she walked to the barn.

When she entered the barn, she saw the huge, still shiny and sticky, blood stain on the floor that no one had had time to clean up yet. She looked around and didn't see any of the other horses in their stalls. Upon closer inspection she could see bloody hoof and boot prints that led out the back door of the barn. She followed the trail and it disappeared after several yards outside in the gravel driveway. The truck with the horse trailer was gone and she wondered who was driving it. She figured it had to be Bo and Lamar, because Houston wouldn't want to leave that many cops wandering around on the ranch without being there to get the details of the investigation. She went back into the barn, and was unsure if she should get the hose and start cleaning up the blood, or if it would be considered part of the crime scene. If it were, then they may still need to get evidence from it, so she walked back out of the barn and up the road. She didn't feel up to it, but she knew Hoyt would want to get her statement sooner rather than later.

As soon as she reached the crest of the hill, she was surprised at the number of officers that were still there. She didn't see a tarp covering Meredith's body, so she must have been taken away by the coroner's office. She could see that some of the lights were outside of the gate and across the road. She could just make out officers moving about in the bushes all the way up the hill. The lights were much brighter than she could tolerate and she was about to turn around to go back to the house when she saw Houston coming toward her at a quick pace, followed by Hoyt. Before she turned completely around, she saw Houston wave off Hoyt, then she waited for him to come to her.

When he got to her, he stood in front of her, then gently encircled her with his arms and she rested her head on his chest and put her good arm around his waist. After a moment, he kissed her head and asked, "Hey, darlin', feeling any better?"

She exhaled then said, "I was, but those lights are _really_ bothering me." Then she inhaled his scent, a mixture of cologne and clean sweat, and it made the magnet energize and her to relax into his embrace. She inquired wearily, "Where is everyone?"

He kissed the top of her head again before answering, "Well, Bo and Lamar took Calamity to the vet. They aren't back yet, so I guess they're still with her." They had to come in the back gate and were just getting to the barn when Houston had run into it, calling for them. He grabbed the closest thing at hand, a saddle pad, and used it to stave off the bleeding. They got her into the trailer, and Bo stood in the trailer with her to continue to apply pressure, while Lamar drove to the vet as fast as he could. Houston could feel C.J.'s next question, "She got her good in the eye. They may not be able to save it."

That made C.J. sad, so she breathed, "I want her to be my horse." Not that Houston would have Calamity put down because she lacked an eye, but she wanted him to know that she wouldn't let him even begin to entertain the idea of selling her or giving her away. A part of her knew that Calamity had probably only bit Meredith because she was standing in the way of her getting the sweet feed, but she was never like that with anyone else. Not even the Novelli boys at their most rambunctious. No, Calamity had sensed that Meredith was a threat and bit her in a protective move.

Houston's instant reply was, "She's yours." He knew C.J. would love Calamity to the end. Then he continued, "Uncle Roy went to the hospital. His fever spiked and Sally didn't want to take a chance of it being something serious."

C.J. started to pull away, "I'll go get changed and go to the hospital."

He pulled her back, and said gently, "Will is with him. They're going to keep him overnight. He will call and let us know if anything changes. We can go see him in the morning. Right now…"

"Right now, I need her statement." Hoyt insisted. He and Houston had been having heated discussions all afternoon and into the evening about when the officers would be able to talk to C.J. They looked at the surveillance tapes, but her statement was crucial. He understood why Houston was being so protective, but he also knew that the longer it took to get her statement, the more details that would be lost. It had been determined that none of the officers were the ones who fired the shot that killed Meredith, and IAD had been there to make sure that everything was done by the book. Now they were scouring the hills surrounding Houston's property to find any evidence the shooter might have left behind.

Houston stated firmly, "Now, Hoyt, I already told you the lady…"

C.J. lifted her head off of his chest and interrupted, "Will do her civic and court appointed duty." Houston looked at her disapprovingly, but she looked into his eyes lovingly, and he shook his head in defeat, then they kissed tenderly. She took a step away from him and looked at Hoyt. "Would it be alright to do it in the house? Those lights aren't helping my headache."

He reached over and patted her arm, "Of course, counselor. You head back to the house and I'll get one of my men to join us."

%%%%%%%%%

After several hours of C.J. being questioned by Hoyt and a few other detectives, Houston finally put his foot down. "That's enough!" He told them firmly. "She's told you everything she remembers and she needs to get some rest." He had been hovering around her, getting her something to eat and drink, studying her closely when Hoyt finally made him leave the room. He busied himself by hosing the blood out of the barn, letting the horses in from the field and getting them ready to bed down for the night. When he returned to the house he looked into the kitchen and, even from the front door, he knew C.J. was worn out.

Hoyt put up his hand, "Just give us fifteen more minutes." He looked at C.J., "Can you do a few more?" She nodded, but her eyes blinked slowly, so Michael knew she was at an end anyway.

Houston glowered, "I'll be back in ten, so start wrapping it up." Then he left the room and his footsteps could be heard going up the stairs. When he came back down a few minutes later, he walked over to her, and handed her her medicine and she took it. Then he told them, "Gentlemen, she's done. Anything else you need will have to wait until tomorrow." After he ushered them out, he came back and guided C.J. upstairs.

When they arrived at their room, he led her to the candle lit bathroom. He had filled the large claw-foot tub with hot water and bubbles. There was a flowery neck pillow that really didn't fit with his macho image, and C.J. had to ask, "Where'd that come from?"

He answered without thinking, "Someone left it at the condo…" Then he realized that she might assume it was Elizabeth's and quickly added, "It wasn't hers. I think it was…"

She put her fingers to his lips to shush him, and said with a weak smile, "You don't have to explain." She knew all about his dating history and truly hadn't assumed it was Elizabeth's.

He kissed her fingers then, after he helped her undress, he kissed her sweetly, then told her, "You slip into the tub and relax and I'll be back in a little while."

By the time he returned to the room, she had already exited the tub, dried off and was lying in bed. He had gone out to be sure that the cops hadn't needed anything else and to be sure that Vinny D's men, the doubled-up night shift, understood what they were supposed to be on the lookout for that night. Raul and Jeremy had suffered some serious stab wounds, and were transported to the hospital. Later in the day Hoyt got word that they would both make full recoveries, but they gathered the evidence for assault charges if they ever caught who had helped Meredith in her efforts that day.

Houston showered and changed into pajama bottoms; C.J.'s eyes fluttered open when he got in bed. She moved over, gave him a kiss then snuggled up next to him with her head resting on his chest. He put his arms around her and kissed her on the head. He heaved a sigh, "What a day, huh?"

"Mmmm." Was her sleep reply. She inhaled his scent and whispered, "I want you." Before she exited the tub, she knew where this night was going, so hadn't put her sling back on, thus it allowed her hand to slowly make its way down his bare chest and stomach and it disappeared under the covers. She had thought about him while in the warm bath, and a carnal urge to claim him had hit her. It was an urge that she would normally have been able to ignore, but after the day's events, she didn't want to ignore it. She wanted him, and she knew it wouldn't be terribly difficult to seduce him tonight.

It was then that he realized she wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing. He caught her hand, but couldn't stop a grin from playing across his face, "Not tonight dear, you have a headache." He knew they shouldn't be engaging in any pleasurable activities after the headache she experienced earlier. Now he just had to convince her, _and_ his little cowboy, it would be best to wait a day or two.

She knew he was grinning and she giggled, "It's not so bad now, and I want you." Then she kissed his chest playfully a couple of times and he let go of her wrist.

He let out a sigh, "You're incorrigible." Then used his index finger to tilt her head up so he could kiss her lovingly. When her hand slid into his pajama bottoms and found its target, he let out a low moan, "Ms. Parsons, what am I going to do with you?"

While she slowly stroked him, his body responded to her touch, she began to kiss his jawline and whispered, "Don't worry, it feels like your little cowboy knows what do with me." He gave up resisting and just followed her lead.

After she had claimed him once again in a deliciously slow and methodical manner, he held her close and told her, "I'm proud of you."

She giggled, "Thanks. It's not the usual feedback I get after love making, but I'll take it." She grinned up at him.

He laughed, "No, not about that…" He waggled his eye brows, "Although…" He kissed her deeply, thinking that if this was her pace while injured, he was going to have to up his game before she was fully healed. After the kiss, he continued, "I mean about how you handled everything today. Uncle Roy said you were decisive and in control of the whole situation. You kept everyone safe."

She looked away, "But Raul and Jeremy and Calamity were hurt…" That made it feel like less of a win.

"Hey…" He cupped her face to steer her eyes back to him, "Everyone who was injured today will recover. And I promise you we will figure out who was behind all of this."

She whispered, "It won't stop the bad dreams." She rested her head on his chest again and he ran his fingers through her hair. After several moments, C.J. began, "She said that the person who was helping her hates me more than even she did. She saw pictures of things…" She replayed it in her head again, "The football…" She decided, "Really, anyone could have been on property and taken those pictures…" There had been so many guests that day of the house warming. She pondered the other examples Meredith had told her and it didn't make sense that anyone could have seen those events. Her mind raced, "But… But we only made out in the pool that one night. And it was _after_ the security cameras were installed. I think someone must have hacked our system. Tomorrow after we go see Roy, I'm going to get to work on BABY…"

Houston had been following along with her train of thought, but at the last few words his breath caught and he shook his head, "C.J., I can't have you at the office. I want you there. I _really_ do. No one, but no one, can put BABY through her paces like you, but…"

She began her quickly reasoned argument, "Houston, I can do a _few_ hours. It'll be fine. If I…"

He made up his mind on the matter and said firmly, "No, C.J." He felt her body tense, so he added, "At least not until you're off of all of the medicine." Her body was still tense, and he softened his tone even further, "I can't risk it. I can't." She was tense in his arms for a minute or so, then she rolled away from him and got out of bed, not bothering to put on her robe. He then he asked plaintively, "Where ya' going?"

As she walked around the end of the bed, her soft yet curt reply was, "To the bathroom. Don't want a UTI." Which wasn't entirely inaccurate.

He sighed, then reminded her, "I thought we weren't going to do that anymore." The couples counseling couldn't come soon enough as far as he was concerned. At this moment, Tuesday seemed a long way off.

She stopped at the bathroom doorway and looked at him, "I'm mad, Houston. Not once did my being concerned for your safety ever stop you from doing exactly what you wanted to do. But you expect me to just _obey_ you…" She stopped herself from saying more, then stepped into the bathroom and closed the door, but didn't leave the bathroom when she was done and had washed her hands. She sat on the floor with her back against the wall as she was wrestling with herself. Fat tears dropped from her eyes unbidden. She knew he was probably right, but it made her angry all the same. She knew she was going to do what he asked, and that made her angrier at herself. She could have cried in front of him, and, because a crying woman was his Achilles' heel, he probably would have acquiesced. However, from the time she was old enough to know the game girls played to get their way, she had never liked it. She much preferred logical arguments to prove she was right. Not that he would ever let her get that far.

By the time she had collected herself, slid on a plum, wide-strapped nightgown and got her sling back on, it had been almost an hour. She quietly opened the door, and heard his soft snores. As she watched him sleeping, the magnet tried to pull her towards him, but she slipped out of the room and went down to the kitchen. As quietly as she could, she rinsed the dishes and coffee mugs that the officers had used and loaded them into the dishwasher. Then she went to Uncle Roy's room to check for any dishes that might have been left behind. After that she went to the living room, sat down and turned on the TV. She clicked through the security cameras, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary, except for a _lot_ more men posted along the perimeter, all the way around the perimeter. There was nothing good on TV, so she popped one of her favorite "bad" movies into the VCR.

%%%%%%%%%%

_Houston found himself outside at his Texas ranch on a bright blue horse. C.J. was on a pale pink horse, riding next to him. Her belly was swollen from their baby that was growing inside her. He smiled at how beautiful she was and how the light around them seemed to be emanating from her. Suddenly there was rush of voices and as he looked past her, he saw a couple of hundred women running toward them._

_He could make out a few faces, but most were a blur. He knew instinctively that they were all the women he had bedded over the years. They were all clamoring for him and calling his name. Meredith's face was the one that really stood out. She had a knife and was about to stab C.J., when he grabbed the reins to C.J.'s horse and spurred his on to gallop away._

_The scene dissolved and he was standing in front of C.J., dressed in a blue dress with a cream suit jacket that fit perfectly over her not pregnant belly. They were in an office somewhere in South America, he knew somehow. He was overwhelmingly mad, and seethed at her, "You had to know I'd win this game of cat and mouse. Did you really think moving here would keep me from finding you?"_

_There was defeat in C.J.'s eyes and her entire demeanor. She bit her lip, then asked, "So are you going to kill me now?"_

_He was taken aback, "What? No. I…"_

_She tilted her head to the side, there was a tiny hint of fear in her determined voice, "That's what the cat does when it catches the mouse, isn't it? It kills it. So, go ahead and do it, then go back to your wife." The last word was spoken with much disdain._

_Was he married? Yes, he married Elizabeth. When he went back to LA, C.J. was gone without a trace and it made him angry. He knew he had spent months tracking her down, and just missing her as she fled Sydney. He contested, "I don't want to kill you. I just want to know why you took your friendship away. I need you."_

_She was sad and sympathetic, "You don't need me. You never did. You have the woman from your dreams, so kill me, and go back to her."_

_He was insistent, "I don't want to kill you! I just want to know why…"_

_She shook her head, "You can't see that you took yours away first?" A tear ran down her cheek, "You can't have both; the woman from your dreams and your friend. She won't let you. And now you're here to kill me, just like she wants you to."_

_He crossed the room, put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a firm shake, "Stop saying that! I don't want to kill you! I want…"_

_As the tears flowed down her cheeks, she nodded knowingly, "You made your choice. I wanted you to love me, but… I was never good enough for you." She gave him a sad little smile, "So, you're going to kill me, like she asked you to do, then you'll go back to your perfect life with the woman from your dreams" She added mournfully, "And you'll never ask who put her in your dreams."_

_That gave him pause, "What does that mean?" Suddenly he noticed the gun in his hand and that it was pointed at C.J.'s chest. He couldn't figure out how it got in his hand or why he would be pointing it at her. _

_As he was lowering the gun, he heard the voices of a man and a woman telling him, "Kill her already. She means nothing to you. We told you that you can't love her. You __cannot__ love her. If you have those feelings for her, you must kill her and be rid of them. DO IT!"_

_When he looked around for the source of the voices the gun went off. He heard C.J. scream and looked back to see C.J.'s, suddenly pregnant again, belly gushing blood from the wound. He was horror-struck, yelled, "NO!" as he went to her and gathered her up in his arms. "NO!"_

_She coughed blood, but then said softly, "I'm sorry I wasn't enough for you. I really wanted to be, because I love you…" _

_He declared loudly, "I love you, too!" He begged, "Stay with me! I love you!" But then she went limp and he knew she had died and the light faded and he was alone in the dark._

%%%%%%%%%%%%

When Houston awoke in a cold sweat, he looked at the clock. It was a couple of hours after C.J. had gone into the bathroom. He had thought about going in and talking to her when she hadn't emerged after she had washed her hands, but then thought better of it. As he looked around, he almost panicked when he realized she wasn't in bed, and as his feet hit the floor, the door opened and she walked in.

Even in the half-light she could see the panic on his face. She crossed the room quickly, and sat next to him on the bed. She stroked his back and ran her fingers through his hair. "What's wrong?" He merely shook his head and looked away. She stroked his cheek then ran her fingers through his hair again. She had dozed off during the movie, but awoke when she heard him yell and went up the stairs as fast as she could. She implored gently, "You'd want me to tell you. Tell me. What happened?"

He looked into her eyes and said, "I had a bad dream." His lips pursed as he looked down. He hated being vulnerable, but loved that he could be so with her and she wouldn't judge or pity him. She would just love him like she always had.

She moved onto the bed and sat with her back against the headboard. With her good arm she pulled him so that his head was resting on her chest. He put his left arm behind her back and let his hand rest on her hip, not wanting to hurt her broken ribs. His other hand rested on her belly briefly then slowly began running up and down it, while she stroked his back soothingly, resting her head on his. "Was I in the dream?"

He nodded, "And when you weren't there when I woke up, I panicked." He tried to shake off the feelings the dream brought, but it was difficult.

She kissed his head and implored, "Tell me."

He then told her about the dream and continued to rub her tummy, especial when he was speaking about her pregnant belly. When he was done, he quietly asked, "What do you think it means?"

She kissed his head and sighed, "I think the underlying theme is that you are worried that someone else from your past will come back to hurt me and our baby. That you might be the instrument they use to do it." He nodded, but did not speak, so she continued, "I also think you're still not fully over the fact that I was planning on moving to another country if you had married Elizabeth."

He nodded, "I would have spared no expense or amount of time. It would have been my only focus, and I would've tracked you down."

She kissed his head again, then whispered, "Would you? Because I don't think she would have liked that at all."

He thought for a minute about how it would have played out with Elizabeth and had to agree, "It would have ruined my marriage, to be sure, but I _need_ my constant." He looked up and kissed her, then rested his head again, "I need my C.J. I always have. I always will."

She hugged him then stated, "I need you, too." She was quiet for a while, thinking about what he had told her about his dream, then added with a little giggle, "I think your dream also means you're looking forward to seeing me all blown up like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloon."

As he grinned and chuckled, he ran his hand over her belly again, "Oooh, darlin', you were _so_ beautiful pregnant." He sat up and looked at her, "I don't want to wait until after the wedding to get you pregnant. As soon as the doctor's say we can try, I want to try."

She caressed his cheek, and was about to explain why she thought they should wait, but the look in his eyes made her say with a sly smile, "Until then we'll just have to hone our technique."

His grinned widened, "What are you doin' right now?" By way of an answer, she leaned up and kissed him.

%%%%%%%%%%%

The next day they visited Roy at the hospital. Will was already in the room and making sure that his dad was being taken care of when Houston and C.J. arrived. Roy had an infection around his trache and they were giving him IV antibiotics for it. They wanted to keep him one more day to be sure the fever didn't come back. They had been visiting for about an hour when Roy mentioned, because the hospital wouldn't puree the food and Roy had to have the liquid food, "_I don't like how this stuff makes m__y stomach__ feel. I miss your cooking already, C.J._"

She gave him a sympathetic look and stroked his hand. She said softly, "It's only for another day, then you can come home and I'll make you a proper meal. What do you think you'll want?"

"_I've been thinking about Rosa's lasagna." _His blue eyes twinkled at her.

She grinned and nodded, "That should be easy enough. I will pull some out of the freezer and we can all have it tomorrow for dinner. How's that sound?"

He managed a little nod, "_That sounds like something to look forward to_."

Just then Will burst out laughing and Houston had a grin on his face as he snickered that made C.J. ask, "What?"

Will, who couldn't wait to make C.J. blush, said, "I just mentioned to Matt that you aren't wearing your sunglasses in this bright room and asked if he gave you one of his _special injections_ last night." Her cheeks flushed then he added, "He indicated it was two."

She turned even more crimson and gave Houston the look, then all at once, sighed and narrowed her eyes while rolling them. He merely held back a laugh and tried for an innocent look, but couldn't pull it off. He and Will burst out laughing again. She shook her head and looked back at Roy.

Roy just finished using his communicator which said, "_I know I have told you boys about that kind of talk in front of ladies._" That made them both laugh all the more.

C.J. inhaled deeply then stood up and kissed Roy on the cheek, "I've got errands to run, but I will come back to see you before I head back to the ranch. Is there anything I can bring you?"

It took a moment, then he responded, "_A son and a nephew who know how to behave themselves_?"

She chuckled, "Sorry, Roy, I can NOT help you with that. Anything else?"

"_No, but you can take them with you when you go, so I can get some rest_." His eyes twinkled and he even managed a weak, half-smile, which was progress.

She returned his smile, then turned and started to walk out of the room, adding, "Let's go boys, Uncle Roy needs a break from you two."

Houston walked over and kissed Roy on the forehead. He said, "C.J. is taking two guards with her to check on things at her house while Will and I go to the office." This was agreed upon after much discussion over breakfast before he and C.J. left the ranch this morning. He continued, "I'm having guards here for you outside your door, so you don't have to worry about anything. They know who should be coming in and anyone who shouldn't will wish they had stayed home. Okay?"

Roy replied, "_Yes, that's fine. Matt, I want you to get in touch with my friend at the Company. The number is in my desk. Tell them you need a PR-35 on Meredith. They'll know what to do._"

Houston nodded, "I will do that. I'm having Kai's Navy buddy go back over our security system. C.J. thinks we've been hacked. Will and I will set up new protocols regardless. Rest up and we'll see you later."

%%%%%%%%%%%%

The same man and woman were on the phone again. He had listened to the recording from Houston's bedroom last night and was adamant, "They're going to figure out what we've done and prevent it from happening again. That C.J. is smarter than you led us to believe. We need to apply pressure now."

The woman made a disagreeing noise, "No, we need to back off. If we make any more moves right now, he will figure it out. If the programming was done right, it won't matter when we revisit." She tapped her perfectly manicured nails and gave an evil snicker, "Let them get comfortable again. I want her nice and relaxed and thinking she doesn't have a care in the world. Then we'll lower the boom."


	27. Chapter 27

Hi, all!

It's been too long, and I _am_ sorry for that. My surgery went well, with a slight, bothersome complication afterwards, but now that I'm done with radiation, I'm getting back to writing. Houston and C.J. never leave me alone, so now I'm getting their story jump-started again. This a short chapter, but I am hoping to get another one out in a couple of weeks. Let me know what you think and thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes!

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Betty, dressed in shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes, was running back up the Wailua Falls trail as fast as she could. She had run to the car with her husband, Jack, and hollered to him, "Open the trunk! I'll take the extra towels and first aid kit back. You go call for an ambulance." With only a nod, he had fumbled with the keys a bit, opened the trunk, then dashed to the driver's side, threw open the door, and hopped behind the steering wheel. She was glad they had decided to back the rental, a new Toyota Cressida, into their parking spot, because he took off as soon as the trunk shut.

As Betty advanced up the trail, she could hear a loud scream. Her mind flashed to several minutes ago when she and her husband, who had been enjoying a dip in the pool at the base of the waterfalls, had exited, dried off and then put their shoes on. As they made their way back down the trail to the car, they couldn't help but notice and overhear the other couple who had been swimming in the falls.

They had been there even before she and her husband had arrived. They seemed to be a very happy, loving twosome and the very fit woman appeared to be about five or six months along but still looked great in a bikini. The couple had exited the water, dried off and left; leaving her and Jack to have a few minutes of alone time before having to get out themselves. It was their 10th anniversary, and they had a tour of a macadamia nut factory, then a fancy dinner to get ready for that evening. As they strolled towards the parking lot, they noticed that the bikini clad woman was leaning on a large rock, her body turned so all they could see was her side.

Betty was struck by how beautiful the pregnant woman was. It didn't escape her that Jack had noticed to. The brunette had snipped, a little more loudly than she obviously had intended, "No! I'm not due for two and half more weeks!" Then her body convulsed in what was an obvious contraction. Betty had given birth to four children, so she knew a contraction when she saw one. It surprised her that the woman could possibly be that close to her due date. She hardly had any tummy at all, and it made Betty a little envious. She was still trying to loose the baby weight from the second one.

The tall, handsome man replied in an amused tone, "I don't think this baby cares about the due date." Then he kneeled down at her feet.

She began shaking her head, "No, no, no, no…" She said through the contraction. She took some labored breaths, tears running down her cheeks, then explained, "It's my first baby. The books said I would be in labor for at least twelve hours." She took a couple of breaths and tried to convince the man, "We've got time to get to the hospital. I have to have my baby at the hospital." Then another contraction hit her hard.

But the man, who had been peeking under the woman's bathing suit bottoms, implored her, "I see why you were having trouble walking. Babe, put your hand right here." The woman had complied as he guided her hand under her bathing suit bottoms, then he informed her, "That's the baby's head. You're having this baby _now_."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sometime in the past:

C.J. was standing in the kitchen with a horror struck look on her face. It was Sunday morning and Kai's friend, Evan, a Navy Seal Special Ops officer, had just dropped the bombshell that a sweep of the ranch not only turned up evidence that all of the cameras were hacked, but that there were "bugs" in various places throughout the house and the barn. She began in a halted manner, "So… So, they heard… everything?!"

Houston had been equally stunned, but recovered a little quicker. He put a hand on her right shoulder to calm her. "It's okay, C.J."

She was appalled; thinking he must not understand the severity of this situation, "It is NOT okay, Houston! They heard every word, every…" She was trying to remember everything that they had said while making love.

Houston turned to Evan, "Can you give us a moment?"

Evan, a tall, muscular man with sandy blonde hair and piercing green eyes, nodded and then crossed the kitchen, slid the door open, stepped through it, and closed it behind him. Kai had let him know that C.J. was not a woman to be second-guessed and that Houston was one of the few men who could match her intellect, so he knew to let them work this out in private.

Houston faced her and put his other hand gently on her other shoulder, "I know this seems bad, but it will be okay." He could see in her eyes that his words were not easing her tension.

She blinked while shaking her head to get her thoughts to line up in a more orderly fashion, "They can use this to…" She stepped back then, put her right hand on her right hip and her left hand gripped the sling tighter, took another calming breath before continuing, "The reason I knew the impostor that Elgin Cody hired wasn't you was because of how he acted and what he said. They were able to copy your face, and get some of your mannerisms down, but…" She was working hard to remain calm, "If they had had this kind of information. Private conversations, especially the ones we've had in bed…"

She rubbed her forehead then let her hand drop back to her hip, "If I tried to confirm it was you by asking a question that only you would know the answer to, but they would have that answer, too…" She shuddered a little at the thought.

He nodded his head slowly as he considered what she was saying, then told her, "You're right." He stepped closer to her and stroked her cheek gently with his thumb while looking deep into her eyes. "You're right. But let's table that for now, and hear what else Evan has to say. Then you and I will sit down and figure out a way to be able to be sure that the person standing in front of us is us. Okay?"

She nodded and added, "We need to do that for Will and Uncle Roy, too." Even though Uncle Roy would be the less likely target, because finding a man his age who would be willing to not only go through face altering surgery, but to have a trache and g-tube put in, it would still be needed out of an abundance of caution in C.J.'s estimation.

He caressed her cheek, "Alright, alright." Then he looked out the sliding glass door and waved Evan back in. They all sat down at the kitchen table, and he asked Evan, "So how many did you find? Was there a central place the lines were going into?"

Evan stated flatly, "We found one in every room of the house, two out by the pool area and two in the barn. My guys are sweeping your cars and the phones. We didn't find any in the bunk house, so that's good. We found the box that the lines were being fed into. To be honest, they look like they've been here a while."

Houston's face dropped, "Whadda ya' mean?" Houston didn't want to believe what he was being told.

"We think that they were here before you moved back in. Possibly from when you lived here before."

Houston nodded but said nothing, so Evan continued, "We'd like to do a sweep of your office and see if they've tapped into any of those feeds."

C.J. blurted out, "I want you to check my house, too." Houston looked over at her still shocked face, took her hand in his and nodded at her.

Evan nodded, "Sure, we'll do that after we're done here." He gave her a reassuring smile. Kai had told him about C.J., but his description of her intelligence and beauty paled in comparison when you were in her presence. He felt bad for his friend, because he could see how connected she and Mr. Houston were and that Kai really had had no chance with her in the end. But Kai, being Kai, had said, "Bro, I'm just happy for her and that she gets to marry her 'ulana."

Just then another young man rapped on the sliding glass door and Houston motioned for him to enter.

As the young man opened the door, Houston inquired, "How can we prevent this in the future?" He could see how having the cameras could be more of a liability if they could be used to spy on them.

"Well, you can buy the same kind of sweeping equipment that we use. We'll set up a system that will let you know if anyone has tampered with the box that the perimeter cameras are wired through, and you'll want to encrypt or scramble the signal, too." The phone rang and C.J. went to answer it, and Evan looked over at Tyrone, which was his cue to begin.

Tyrone nodded, "There was a homing beacon on the Excalibur." He handed it to Evan who examined it, then he smiled at Houston, "Sweet ride, by the way." Houston half grinned back at him, but Tyrone caught the glare that Even shot at him and he continued, "But none on any of the other vehicles."

Evan nodded, "OK. Ms. Parsons wants us to do a sweep of her house too, so why don't you guys start packing up the equipment and head on over there." Tyrone nodded, then turned and exited through the sliding glass door he had entered through. Evan looked back at Houston, "So, we'll get you an estimate on the equipment and report back to you on what we find at Ms. Parsons' house."

Both men stood up and shook hands. Houston glanced over at C.J., who was still on the phone, then whispered, "Don't tell C.J. if you find anything, just let me know. I don't want her any more worried than she already is, okay?"

Evan gave him an uncertain look, but then nodded and turned to leave. He saw that C.J. was walking back over so he stopped to say 'good-bye' to her.

She walked back over to where Houston was standing and very calmly told Evan, "Evan, if you don't tell me what you find at my house, I will hire another company who will." Then she looked at Houston and after their eyes locked, they had a silent conversation for several seconds.

Houston let out a sigh, "Fine." Then he looked at Evan, "Tell both of us what you find." After Evan exited, he asked, "Who was on the phone?" Hoping that would stave off any lecture from her about being over protective.

She quickly gave him the look, then told him, "It was Carol. She wants to take me wedding dress shopping, but I told her I would speak to you about it, first."

His forehead wrinkled in confusion, "You don't need to talk to me about dress shopping." Then he smiled broadly, "Go, and have fun." He was thinking it would be a nice diversion for her from not being able to go to the office to work.

She equivocated, "Wellll, she wants to take me to Paris and Milan and I'd be gone for over a week." She paused while she tried to read his reaction, so she added, "I know we have work to do, but since you don't want me at the office…"

"C.J., I never said I don't want you there," He corrected, "I'm just concerned about you jumping off the helipad again."

She let out a sigh, "I know. I do." Then she tried to make her case again, "But I'm off all my pain meds and I've been doing fine." It had only been a week, but other than the headache from out running Erin/Meredith, she had been well. Occasional sensitivity to light, but nothing that drawing the curtains or wearing sunglasses hadn't been able to help.

He stepped over to her and put his arms around her waist and she put her good arm up so that her hand was resting on the back of his neck in a half embrace. He kissed her, "I don't want to rush it and have you suffer a relapse." He kissed her again, then reminded her, "You still have a couple of more weeks in the sling, too." He kissed her a little more passionately, before telling her his thoughts, "You know, since Uncle Roy isn't coming home until tomorrow and Will won't be here…" The doctors had decided to keep Roy one more night just to be on the safe side.

She grinned, "You wanna play doctor?" He wiggled his eyebrows in response, so she kissed him, but then pulled away, "Sorry, pal. I want to be there when the guys sweep my house for bugs." She walked to the closet and grabbed her purse while he watched her hungrily.

As she was heading for the door, he followed her while saying, "Wait, wait, wait! _This_ doctor is willing to make house calls." She grinned and took him by the hand and led him out the door.

%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sometime in the future:

As Betty came to the clearing by the falls, she saw the woman still half leaning, half sitting on the rock. The woman's bikini bottoms were off and with one last push the handsome man caught the baby as it cascaded from the new mom. He announced ecstatically, "Babe, it's a boy!" Grinning ear to ear, he began wiping off then, wrapping the squalling infant in one of their beach towels. He covered the baby's nose with his mouth, sucked, then turned and spit out some mucus.

The woman had a mixture of joy, relief, and something else on her tear stained face. "A boy? We have a son?" She was shaking a little from the effort to bring her child into the world.

The man smiled, "Yeah, C.J. Here, hold him." Then he handed the baby to her as he started tying off the umbilical cord with his shoe lace.

Betty arrived and began putting the beach towels down for C.J. to sit on. "Come on, honey, you'll be more comfortable on the towels than leaning on the rock until the paramedics arrive."

She looked away from the wailing baby for a moment, shaking her head, "Oh, no, I don't want to ruin your towels." She could feel the fluids running down her legs, the part of birth that she hadn't been looking forward to. Why did bringing a baby into the world have to be so messy?

Betty laughed, "Don't you worry about that, they're hotel towels. I'm sure they've dealt with worse. Besides you still have to deliver the placenta. They always skip that part on TV and in the movies." Before she helped C.J. down to the towels, she handed the man the first aid kit, "I don't know if there's anything useful in there. Not for delivering a baby anyways."

He took it, "Thanks." Then he cut the cord with his pocket knife, something he always had on him, especially when he was doing any sort of hiking. He looked at C.J., "Babe, why don't you try nursing him. They say that usually gets the placenta moving." He had read some of the baby books, too.

C.J. nodded and moved her bikini top to the side and placed the newborn on her breast. It took him a minute or two, but after a little coaching from Betty, he finally latched on, and looked up at his mama through barely opened eyes. She whispered through her tears, "Hi, baby. I've been waiting so long to meet you, but you really could have waited a few more weeks."

Betty asked, "So, do you have a name for this little guy?" She noted how natural the new mom was holding her son, gazing at him lovingly and gently wiping the vernix from his arms as he suckled.

C.J. glanced up and said, "Jedrick. His great uncle wanted his name to be Jedrick. It means 'strong man'." Then she looked back down at him, "And that's what you'll be; a strong man." Then she leaned down to kiss his little head, and inhale his scent.

Betty grinned, "That's a good name." Then she added, "I'm Betty by the way, my husband's Jack."

C.J. smiled, "I'm C.J. and this is Kai."


	28. Chapter 28

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Sometime in the past:

C.J. was off in Europe wedding dress shopping. She called Houston every night her time/morning his time. They did the homework the couple's therapist had given them and went over it together. They even did conference call sessions. She said that the shopping was going well, and she spotted a couple that she liked, but they were having a bit a problem since the wedding was a little more than 2 months away. Most of the designers couldn't make that deadline. But Carol was sure that they would find something before they came back.

In the meantime, the guys were making some progress with BABY and finding out who was behind letting Meredith loose from the asylum. Roy's contact at The Company had been able to peel back some of the layers and felt sure that they would get to a name soon. Roy's gut told him that the name wouldn't be a surprise and that it would go deeper than just that person.

Somewhere the mysterious man and woman were talking over the phone again. The man said, "They found all of the bugs and they'll be looking for more. It's time."

The woman was irritated, "No! We can wait a little while longer. After Thanksgiving, when it's closer to the wedding. Then…" She wanted to ruin C.J.'s wedding in a big way. She really wanted to wait until the ceremony to drop the hammer, but she knew the bosses were anxious and wouldn't delay it that long.

The man was firm, "Word from above is now, so you'll do it now." He didn't care about the woman's petty, vindictive plans. When the boss speaks, you listen.

The woman let out a sigh, "Fine. Give me a couple of weeks to get things in place. It must look natural. Without the bugs it's hard to know exactly the right time."

"I will let them know. We have a lot riding on this so don't screw it up." He reminded her.

%%%%%%%

Later that same day:

After Kai left, Murray had instituted "Aloha Friday" and everyone got to wear Hawaiian shirts, and jeans or shorts. The corporate staff loved it. The atmosphere was very different, but no one was so laid back that they didn't get their work done or failed to meet a deadline. In fact, it was so popular that all of the affiliate companies clamored to have their meetings in the building on Friday, so that they could get in on the fun.

Roy and Houston were dressed in shorts and Hawaiian shirts, too. Houston was sitting on the couch and Roy had his custom wheelchair set so that he could easily see BABY's screen. Roy's nurse for the day, Lori, was sitting at the poker table going over Roy's chart. Houston had custom-made scrubs in a Hawaiian print for all the nurses, so none of them felt left out if they were working with Roy on a Friday. They were looking at BABY's screen intently. There was a complicated configuration of names, places and dates that was scrolling quickly.

"_I think we're almost there Matt."_ Roy said through his communication device. _"It looks like the person who let Meredith out left a trail after all."_

Houston was hopeful, "Yeah, I want to get it figured out before C.J. gets back. I don't want her to have to think about anything but the wedding."

He shot Houston a look, _"Don't tell her that. You know she hates being treated as if she's fragile. Whatever we find, she's a strong woman who can handle it."_

Houston partially acquiesced, "I know, Roy, but she's been through so much this past year. I want this time between now and the wedding to be nothing but happy memories for her." Along with couple's therapy, they were both doing individual therapies to help them deal with all the traumatic events in their lives. Normally he wouldn't have gone, but he knew she needed to go, and if he didn't try then she wouldn't try. And the next time she had a night terror, she might not have a net to catch her.

Roy smiled at his nephew. He was reminded of how he and Flo were when they were first starting out. He inquired, _"When does she get back?"_

Houston checked his watch, "Her plane is supposed to land at 10:30. So I'll take the chopper over there to pick her up, then we'll fly to the ranch." He stood up and made his way over to the bar, "In the meantime, let's get ready for lunch. Will should be back with it any minute now."

Will always told them "I'll go get it" whenever they ordered lunch or dinner. Houston had always said that the places would deliver or they could get an intern to do it, but he said, "After all of that time in the pits, I like to be able to get out and go whenever and wherever I want. And who knows, maybe I'll be able to sweep some pretty waitress off her feet."

%%%%%%%%

Later that day:

Everyone had gone for the evening; Will had driven the specialty van with his father and Lori home well before the nurses changed shift at 7pm, and Chris had a date that evening, so Houston let her go early. When everyone had left, Houston went downstairs for a workout and shower before he was planning on leaving to fly to the airport.

He decided to dress in his gray suit and vest, with the light blue shirt, dark gray striped tie, and his best boots, of course. He hadn't seen her in eleven days, thirteen hours, and more minutes than he could stand, so he wanted to look dashing for her. She was his best girl, _the_ best girl, and he never wanted to take her for granted.

The homework that they were doing for couple's therapy was really opening his eyes to his attitudes towards marriage, gender roles, and women in general. His mother had died shortly after he was born and his daddy never married, so he didn't have a marriage role model growing up. Sure, he had seen Uncle Roy and Aunt Flo, but those were only glimpses of a couple on their 'best behavior' in front of company. The actual day-to-day, year-to-year workings of a marriage were something of a mystery to him. And C.J.'s experiences were only a little better than his, because her father died when she was so young, and her mother never remarried before her untimely death.

As he made his way to the top of the stairs from the gym, he noticed that the doors to the helipad were shut. He turned to see that the doors to the lobby were shut, too. He paused for a moment trying to remember if he had done it. _"No, I'm sure I left those opened"_ he thought. Then he heard a noise from C.J.'s office. He debated on getting his gun, but decided if it were just the cleaning crew, he didn't want to frighten them. As he walked slowly down the steps he peeked into her office and saw that the blackout curtains they had installed were closed. This was odd since they were only ever closed the one time that she came to the office after being hit by Meredith's car. As he gingerly stepped to the doorway his eyes widened. It was C.J., sitting at her desk working on the computer. She was turned facing her monitor, and she was most definitely naked.

She looked over her shoulder with a grin, "Hey, cowboy." She was delighted by the surprised look on his face.

He was stunned; could this really be happening? After Hoyt caught them that one time, he thought for sure that office sex wasn't even a possibility. He tried to play it cool, but struggled as he said, "You are taking this Aloha Friday idea to amazingly wonderful extremes."

She smiled and went back to working on the computer, but she could tell he hadn't moved. She looked back at him, "Whatcha thinkin'?" Then looked back at the computer.

_That_ was a loaded question in his opinion, but he answered with a question of his own, "I thought your plane…"

Without looking away from her computer she told him coyly, "We caught an earlier flight, and I thought I'd surprise you. Are you surprised?"

He stumbled, "Huhhhh, yeah. Surprised. Yeah." The list of things going through his mind were quickly dwindling down to the one thing. And since he didn't want a repeat of the Hoyt incident, he added, "I should probably lock…"

She tossed her right hand up, "Already locked the elevator and the doors to the stairs and my office. You might want to lock that door behind you. Just in case." Then went back to typing.

He grinned as he turned to shut and lock her office door, "My, you are ahead of me this evening, aren't you?" Normally, he liked to be the one 'driving the bus', but this was an exciting change of pace that he wasn't quite sure what to do with. He briefly wondered what happened on her trip, but she moved her arm and he saw the curve of her breast, so promptly forgot to ask about it.

She looked over her shoulder again, straight into his eyes and smiled, "Now what are you thinkin'?"

He answered honestly, "I'm debating on if I'm taking you on your desk or over on the pool table." His eyes roved over what he could see of her that wasn't being blocked by her chair and the desk.

She grinned at him, turned a little so she could better see his face, then made a case for each, "Well, the pool table has many fun innuendo possibilities; you know balls, sticks, pockets, etc. It's at a good height and _very_ sturdy, but the felt might need cleaning when we're done." She crinkled her nose, then continued, "My desk is at an equally good height, _fairly_ sturdy, however it has a lot of paperwork on it, that, if shoved off onto the floor, would take hours to put back in order afterwards." Then she shrugged, "But it's dealer's choice, Cowboy."

He shook his head, "Oooh, no. _You_ are clearly the one in charge of this situation, so you chose." At that moment, his little cowboy didn't care where, so long as it happened. As he gazed at her he realized how much he had missed her, and how much he needed to be one with her again.

"I think you need to lose some of those clothes before I make a decision." She looked back at her computer and smiled as she heard him taking off his boots. She knew how this night was going to go. She had thought about it on the plane back from Milan. She rarely ever let herself be the wanton woman, but with him, tonight, she would. When she heard his suit coat hit the floor, she spun around in the chair, arms crossed, and put her feet on her desk. She was wearing the red stilettos.

He froze as he sucked in his breath at the sight of her. "Oohh, you wore the shoes. I love those shoes."

She demurred, "I couldn't get the rest of the outfit. Hope that's OK." She watched him lustfully as he undressed.

It didn't escape him that there was a fire in her eyes. His pitch lowered, "Oh, I think I can make do." He started unbuttoning his vest, then his shirt, a little faster.

She just smiled at him and watched as he took off his shirt and started to undo his buckle. She stood up and walked over to him, which made him pause so he could take it all in. She got close to him, but before he could put his hands on her she grabbed his wrists, leaned in, and kissed him passionately, her body brushing his teasingly. She stopped the kiss abruptly, she stared into his chocolate brown eyes, and said, "I love you, Houston."

He kissed her again, then said, "I love you, too, C.J."

Before he could say anymore, she recaptured his mouth with a searing kiss. After several minutes of kissing and teasing him, she turned and walked over to the pool table. He loved how those shoes made her bare backside sway when she walked. She proceeded to sit on the edge of the pool table with her legs crossed, bouncing her top leg to make the stiletto gleam in the light.

They eyed each other hungrily as he finished stripping. He then walked over, took her face in his hands, and captured her mouth in a deep kiss. She put her arms around his neck. While kissing her, he moved his hands to her knees and nudged her legs apart then stepped between them. He paused the kiss and asked hoarsely, "You ready?"

Breathlessly, she replied, "Oh, yeah" She had been thinking about this moment from the time she had left on her trip. The magnet pulling her toward him was so strong in this moment that wild horses couldn't have dragged her away from him.

He went back to kissing her while he maneuvered her hips, but stopped and asked, "Do I need to get…" He didn't know if he needed a condom. He was kind of hoping that he would, because it would mean that she was almost ready to start a family.

Then she said what she always did to let him know that she was still taking pill. She kissed him then breathed, "It's okay. It's okay."

His mouth explored hers for a few more moments, and then he joined their bodies together slowly because he loved to hear the moans she made when he did. After a few minutes of penetrating her unhurriedly, he cradled her face so he could look in her hazel eyes as he asked her, "What do you want?"

A slight grin played across her face before she moaned softly, "I wanna ride you, cowboy" So, he held her hips to him, picked her up and turned so he could maneuver onto the pool table. He laid back, his hands still on her hips, and she rode him until they both experience an earth-shattering climax and their reconnection was complete.

After they had recovered, they moved to the bed downstairs, and caught up with each other. They were wrapped in each other's arms laying on top of the comforter that was pulled up to cover them a bit. He nuzzled her neck while asking, "Did you find a dress that you liked?"

She was lazily stroking his arm as she replied softly, "I did. It's not like anything I've seen over here. The designer let me have the sample dress because it fit me so well that it only needed minor alterations. But I don't want to tell you too much about it. I want you to be surprised."

He glanced down at her red pump clad feet, grinned and asked, "Can you wear those shoes with it?"

She giggled, "Nooo, these shoes are just for you to see. I will be wearing shoes that are appropriate with a wedding gown."

He kissed her softly, then asked, "What do you need me to do? Book the hall? Get the DJ?" then he began to trail kisses down her to her neck.

It was hard to concentrate with him hitting one of her sensitive spots, "Mmmmm, figure out who your best man will be, and if you'll have groomsmen. Then make sure they have tuxes." He paused his kissing, so she added, "Yes, you have to wear a bow tie, and no, no clip-ons." She giggled when he slumped down in her arms.

He sighed, "Fine. But the shoes come on the honeymoon." The he returned his attentions to her neck.

He had been keeping the destination a secret, so she probed, "Will these shoes even be appropriate for wherever we're going?"

His hand began to wander to her breast as he chuckled his reply, "Like you won't pack 20 pairs no matter the destination." She was about to protest, but then he captured her mouth in a kiss, as he maneuvered himself so they could join body and soul together once again. This time she let him 'drive the bus'.

When they were both fully satiated, the red shoes on the floor at the end of the bed, spooning together under the covers, and starting to drift off to sleep, C.J. asked sleepily, "Shouldn't we be getting dressed to go home?"

He replied after a yawn, "I don't wanna move from this spot." Then he snuggled her closer.

She rubbed his arm, "Aren't you worried I'll make a mad dash for the helipad?"

He kissed her head, "Nuh-huh. I'm gonna hold you tight all night long so you won't have bad dreams," he whispered. Then they both drifted off to sleep.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

They had woken up around 4am, and enjoyed a sensual shower together, before flying the chopper back to the ranch. They spent the weekend riding the horses, doing chores, cooking together, and hanging out with Roy and Will. And making love. The did that anytime and anywhere they had a chance and weren't under the prying eyes of surveillance cameras. They had eleven days to make up for, after all.

Monday afternoon, back at the office, the guys were out on the patio looking over a print out of names and companies that BABY had come up with. C.J. called out to them, "Guys!" As they entered, they couldn't help but notice the look on C.J.'s face. She tapped a few keys and the screen went blank.

Will asked half-jokingly, "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Her eyes went past him, and over to Houston. "It wasn't a ghost. Houston, you have to know that this is the information that Roy's contacts at The Company found. I'm going to need you to stay calm and keep an open mind." The stress in her voice as she said this was palpable.

Houston was hesitant to reply. He could see a thousand different emotions crossing her face very quickly. "Okay, C.J. I can keep an open mind."

"They figured out who was the one visiting Meredith and who let her out. They have a couple of recordings, so they're pretty sure they're right about this." She took a few breaths to steady herself.

Houston started to lose patience, "Well, come on and tell us."

She clicked a few keys and a very familiar face popped up on the screen. Houston's jaw dropped and he was unable to speak. Will gave his father a puzzled look, and Roy announced, _"Elizabeth Sheridan"_.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sometime in the future:

Will and Roy were in the living room of Will's house watching baseball on the TV. The nurse had just excused herself to the restroom. Will was about to go to the kitchen to get another beer when there was a news break.

The anchor said, "And now this. A couple came back from their hiking trip in Hawaii with a very special souvenir. The couple, who didn't want to be identified, were swimming in Wailua falls, when the woman went into labor weeks early and delivered a healthy baby boy..."

Will's jaw was agape when he saw a photo of the ambulance and he could make out Kai's tattoos. He had never memorized them, but he knew them when he saw them along with Kai's long hair. And even though she was in deep shadow in the ambulance, he definitely knew C.J.'s million mega-watt smile when he saw it. He didn't look over at his dad, his eyes transfixed on the screen. He said, to no one in particular, "C.J. and Kai had a baby? I had no idea." Because he was staring at the TV, he didn't catch the briefly terrified look that crossed his father's face. Once the anchor moved onto the next story, Will thoughtfully asked his dad, "Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

Roy deflected_, "Good for them?"_ Even though they hadn't kept in touch as frequently as they both would have liked, Roy had known about her pregnancy. He had promised C.J. he wouldn't tell a soul if she promised to name the baby after his favorite uncle, Jedrick, if it were a boy and after his late wife, Florence, if it was a girl. C.J. and Houston had only spoken a few times after she moved to Hawaii. And the last time, didn't go well. At all. However, he knew his nephew well enough to know that if he heard about her having a baby, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from going to see her.

Will half nodded, "Yeah. That and I'm worried the shrew will hear about it." He knew from their research on BABY how dangerous Elizabeth and her contacts were. After C.J. moved to Hawaii, he had endured months on end of Elizabeth running C.J. down for "…abandoning Matt and dating that low-life…" Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and started looking for houses. His father wanted a house back in Tucson, and Will was more than happy to oblige. The part that bothered him the most was that his cousin never said a word in C.J.'s defense. From the moment Elizabeth came back, his cousin was transfixed on her.

If he lived to be 100, he would never understand why Matt would break up with C.J. They seemed so happy and planning their wedding for New Year's Eve. She even had a dress she picked up in Europe. But that seemed like a lifetime ago now. So, Will calculated quickly, "Do you think we should give Vince a call? Maybe he could…"

"_You know we can't." _They had all been on "radio silence" because of Elizabeth and the company she kept. What none of them had shared with Will was the plan that had been hatched. A plan that went wrong. A plan that shouldn't have been attempted. Ever. _"I'm sure that C.J. will contact him if she needs him. And Kai has his contacts in the Navy, so I'm sure they're well protected."_

They both knew that much to Mama Novelli's dismay, C.J. only visited the Novellis for a few days when she first moved there. Then she went to one of the smaller islands, took and passed the Hawaii bar cold, and started a small law practice. Kai followed several days after she had moved to Kauai. When she did visit for holidays she made the topic of Houston off limits. The Novellis were angry with Houston, too, but they kept in contact with Roy to be sure he and Will were doing well and to give them any updates they had on C.J.

Will shook his head, "I'm gonna go call Vince and give him the heads up; just in case." He knew that if Matt heard about his best friend giving birth, that he would make a beeline to Hawaii. Which under other circumstances wouldn't be so bad, but now with Elizabeth and whatever weird spell she had him under… He was concerned for their safety. Vince could use his police contacts to be sure that C.J. and Kai and their new baby were safe.

"_Fine, but you can't use any phone they might know about."_ Even though Will swept the house for bugs twice daily, it didn't preclude someone from finding a way to circumvent the system they had in place. They had all been on high alert since Elizabeth came back.

Will slowly nodded, "You're right. I'll do it tomorrow. I'll figure something out by then." He stood up and as he walked to the fridge, he was suddenly a little sad that the baby wasn't his new cousin. They could use more family right about now.


	29. Chapter 29

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Houston was flabbergasted, "Elizabeth let Meredith out? But why? That makes no sense." Even though he was over Elizabeth, he still cared about her. She was a gentle, fragile woman who needed protection, not someone he or the people he cared about would need protection from.

C.J. looked over at Roy and Will, then back to Houston. She knew he wasn't going to take this well and was bracing herself for his reaction. "Yes, it was Elizabeth and there's more. They were able to trace her steps backwards, and when they had peeled back the layers…" She really didn't want to say the next part but clicked a few buttons on the keyboard and another familiar face popped up, "And it turns out she was working with Peter Martin Delaney."

Houston blinked a few times, then said, "Truman Masters?" He fell silent and began pacing between the doorway and the sofa nearest the piano. As he put together the implications of Elizabeth being linked with Delaney, his breathing became more shallow. He couldn't believe that Elizabeth had been working with Delaney all along.

Will was trying to catch up with the room, "Wait. Isn't that the guy who kidnapped you? But I thought…" He had still been a prisoner in a Cambodian POW camp when all of that occurred and he had only heard parts of it from his dad and his cousin.

Roy didn't try to stop and explain it to Will. He would do that later. Right now he needed to remind Houston of the tangled web that Elgin Cody, Delaney and others had woven to keep them in the dark for months on end. _"Another shell within a shell it would appear."_ Then Roy stated it so C.J. wouldn't have to, _"She was never really brainwashed. They just wanted to see if the programming worked and it did. That was the reason she was the woman from your dreams."_

Houston slowly shook his head, "No. No, now…" Michael Sheridan was a terrorist from Ireland, or at least that's what it seemed like at the time. He needed to convince them that this couldn't be true, "Her brother. He was the one..." His words trailed off and all of the days and nights that he had spent with her filtered through is mind.

C.J. observed gently, "That might have been the partial truth. It's what good lies, complex lies, are built around." She suddenly felt like they were in way over their heads, "Houston, let's call the CIA and let them handle this."

Houston was seeing everything through a different lens and quickly getting angry. He held up his hand and shook his head more, "No. No, there's more to it than this." He looked at his uncle, "You're right Roy, Delaney was all about a shell within a shell. If they were using Elizabeth to get to me, they still want something."

As the tension and anger rose in the room, Will quickly became uncomfortable. He started to feel panicky, like he did when he was being held captive for all those years. He quietly walked away, up and past the poker table where Sally was sitting and then they both walked to and down the steps. Will closed the office doors behind him.

Meanwhile, Houston was pacing frantically and rubbing his forehead with his thumb still trying to figure it out. He wondered aloud, "But why would she call off the wedding? It would have made more sense to go through with it."

C.J. gingerly offered, "Maybe it was a test. Maybe she really did get scared. Maybe…" She knew he wouldn't listen to her on this, but she had to try, "I don't know, but we can't handle this alone this time. We're going to need help."

Roy just wanted to cut to the chase, "_Now that the bugs are gone, she'll show up here. When she does,_ _just call her out on it. Don't play with that fire. No good will come of it if they have been working together on this all along."_

C.J. nodded, "I agree with Roy. If…" Then she corrected herself, because there was no point in pretending, "_When_ she shows up here, we call her out on it."

A plan was formulating in Houston's mind, and it was irritating him that they were ready to throw in the towel so easily. He insisted, "No! Look, when she shows up, then I will pretend that I'm still under their programming. That way I can find out more information for us to go on."

C.J. stood up, "Houston, if this has been a long con, then I don't think we can manage this with just BABY." She tried to approach him, but he veered away from her and went up to the bar, "Don't do this. Let's let the CIA handle it."

The more he thought about it the more irate he became, "C.J., this is my life!" Then he saw the look of alarm in her eyes, "_Our_ life and it's not gonna stop with just her. Someone is pulling her strings and I wanna know who it is. I don't want to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder."

Roy tried to reason with him,_ "The CIA will figure it out. This is not the time for…"_

Houston didn't hear the last words that came out of Roy's communication device; he was too furious. He shoved one of the bar stools to the ground. "NO, DAMN IT! NO!" he shouted, but then softened his tone when he saw the struck looks on their faces. He took a few deep breaths as he righted the bar stool. He began again, "Please. Please, just help me with this. I want this over with and _I_ need to handle it. They're trying to make a chump outta me, and I won't let them."

C.J. looked at Roy, then sat down at BABY. Her voice trembled a bit as she asked, "What's your plan?"

%%%%%%

That Friday Houston was in the elevator, going down the parking garage. It was about half-way down when it stopped at a floor that was being renovated. The doors slid open and Elizabeth was standing there. He pretended to be surprised, "Elizabeth? What are you doing here?" He stepped off of the elevator and the doors slid shut behind him.

Elizabeth gave him a little smile, but only said slowly and clearly, "Matt Houston. Matlock William Houston…"

Houston acted like he was fighting going into a trance, "Elizabeth? What's going on…" He knew if she had been listening in to every moment of his life, he had to act like he was fighting it.

She repeated, "Matt Houston. Matlock William Houston." Then he let his eyes go unfocused for a moment before grinning. Satisfied, she continued, "We have work to do, darling. Are you ready to work?"

He hesitated, "With… With you?" He was trying not to over do it, but it was hard to remember what he was like when he was with her since C.J. had broken the hold they had placed on him.

"Of course, with me, darling. I'm the woman from your dreams." She reached up and stroked his cheek as she smiled.

%%%%%%%

An hour later, Elizabeth was sitting in her hotel room on the phone to the man, "The programming worked." She was a little disappointed she couldn't have waited until their wedding ceremony to spoil things for C.J., but the men she worked for were cut throat.

The man was dubious, "Really? How do you know?" He knew how much trouble they had programming him in the first place. It should have only taken two weeks, but with him it took a month.

His disbelief made her stomach leap into her throat, but her response was cool and confident, "_Yes_, really. He resisted a little at first, but then he came back under control. In fact, I gave him his orders, and by next week, C.J. Parsons won't be able to disturb our plans."

He'd believe it when he saw it. "Mmm-hmmm. Well, I hope you're right. They're going to need you to hold his interest for a good long time." The plans the bosses had in the works were the kind that couldn't be rushed. Like when Disney spent years buying up swamp land in Florida in order to build the Magic Kingdom. They used dozens of dummy corporations to achieve their goal.

She replied coyly, "That's not a problem. After all, I'm the woman from his dreams."

%%%%%%%%

Five days later, Houston had invited Murray up to have lunch with them. It had been a while since they had done more than quick hello's in passing. The last time that they had spent any real time together was at Roy's birthday party. Houston was nervous about what he was about to do. What he had to do, to be sure that they got to the bottom of this plot against him. He and Roy and C.J. had all agreed to the plan. The two of them had deep reservations, but he knew it had to be done, and they finally gave in to his way of thinking.

Chris, Roy, Will, Murray, C.J., and Sally, were all sitting around the poker table, enjoying a lunch of steaks that Houston grilled up and a salad. Chris looked over at C.J., who appeared to be on edge about something, "Are you OK? Do you want me to dim the lights a little?" It had been almost two months since her accident, but sometimes the lights would still bother her.

C.J. came out of her trance, smiled, and shook her head, "No, I'm fine. Just have a lot on my mind with the wedding and all." She was feeling sick over what was about to happen. These were her friends and she didn't like deceiving her friends.

Chris smiled, "Your dress is so beautiful and perfect for you. Do you think…"

But she didn't get to finish because Houston stood up and stepped several feet back from the table. C.J. turned in her seat hoping that no one noticed her nervousness. He began by saying, "C.J., I know this is not the best time for this…" Everyone was staring at him, waiting for him to continue. He continued in a halted manner, "I've decided that we're better off as friends." The look on their faces couldn't have been more perfect, just what he needed from them to sell it to Elizabeth. She had insisted that he give her the code so that she could monitor the office on the security cameras. "That whole therapy and couple's therapy, that's… That's not me. I can handle my own problems. I don't need some outsider telling me about my feelings. But I still want to be friends."

Everyone sat dumbfounded, and, after a minute, Will was the first one to speak, "This is a joke, right?" Then he looked over at C.J., but there was no trace of humor on her or his cousin's faces. "You're breaking up with her?!"

Houston was slightly irritated, "Yes, Will, I'm breaking up with her. You've heard our fights. That's not what I want for the rest of my life."

A gobsmacked Chris chimed in, "But you've _never_ been happier. I've seen you with…" She was struggling to make sense of it all. "She is the only woman who has made you truly happy."

C.J., who had been slowly working her engagement ring off of her finger, stood up and walked over to him. Her face was flush, and her voice was trembling, "You couldn't have picked a different time to bring this up?" He shook his head, and she exhaled, "So you don't want to marry me, but you still want to be friends?"

He smiled and reached over to give her a buddy pat on the arm, "That's right. We were _great_ together as friends. So, we can just go back to that."

The tears were welling in her eyes as she looked into his. She was barely able to say, "This is a mistake." as she handed him the ring back. The look he gave her let her know that he wasn't going to veer from the path he had set them all on.

Just then Elizabeth swanned into the room from the lobby. She had been hiding in one of the little offices to the right of the elevators, and waiting for her cue to make her entrance. Gone was the meek, timid woman they had met previously. She moved quickly to Houston's side, took his arm, and gave everyone a big smile, "Hello, everybody! So good to see all of you again." They did not return her greeting; the shock was too much. Then she looked between C.J. and Houston. It was difficult for her to contain her glee at the devastated look on C.J.'s face. But she wasn't done causing her pain. She enthused, "So, darling, have you told them the good news?"

Roy asked, _"What good news?"_

She didn't trust Roy, so gave him a quick narrow eyed look, then gushed, "We're getting married! Isn't that great?"

Will stood up, "What the _hell_ are you talking about? Houston?" His cousin had clearly lost his mind.

Houston's gaze never wavered from C.J.'s. He kept is tone even, almost robotic, "I bumped into Elizabeth a few nights ago. And it made me realize that I was never really over her. So, we got to talking and I really want to marry her."

Elizabeth grinned at C.J., no longer wanting to even veil her contempt for her. She sneered, "Yes, but you had to know this was coming. Men never marry the rebound girl. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll find a man of your own… someday." She wanted to get another dig in and allowed, "I mean, you're not entirely unattractive and you do have a great personality."

Sally was wide eyed and muttered under her breath, "Jesus, Joseph and Mary, she's horrible."

Will sat down slowly, and breathed, "Bitch," then added, "He's out of his gotdamn mind."

Chris, Murray and Roy were waiting. Waiting for Houston to say something, anything, to defend C.J. against this disgusting verbal attack. But he said nothing. Waiting for C.J. to smack the crap out of Elizabeth, but she didn't.

Elizabeth was too busy taking great delight in the look on C.J.'s face to even notice what anyone at the table was doing or saying. She was humiliating her and she wasn't done yet. "And since it's such short notice, we'll just use your venue, caterer, and everything, but don't worry dear, I still have my dress." C.J. broke her gaze with Houston to look over at Elizabeth, who oozed with false sincerity, "You'll be there won't you? Of course, you will. You're his friend." And she added with a hint of disdain, "His best friend."

C.J. scowled, "Wouldn't miss it." Then she looked at the table full of stunned faces and said, "If you'll excuse me. I've lost my appetite." Then she walked quickly down the stairs, into her office and she closed the door. She sat at her desk and tried to calm herself.

A minute or two later, Chris walked in and closed the door behind her. "C.J. if you want to talk about it." She was still in shock at what had just happened.

She answered curtly, "I don't." Then her demeanor softened as she reached for a tissue to dab her eyes, "You could do something for me though." She grabbed a note pad, tore off a sheet, and wrote on it, then handed it to Chris.

Chris read _"Cancel all the wedding reservations"_ then nodded, and grinned, "With pleasure." She had never liked Elizabeth when Houston dated her the first time. There was something off and false about her, but she was the secretary/receptionist and no one asked for her opinion on the matter. Chris didn't need to be told to watch what she said, and knew she couldn't complete the task at the office, "I'll take the rest of the day off, if that's OK with you."

C.J. gave her a weak smile, "Give me five and I'll walk out with you." Chris nodded, then headed for the lobby, and closed the door behind her. C.J. looked around her office one last time.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sometime in the future:

Kai and C.J., who was nursing Jeddy at the moment, were sitting at the glass-top table enjoying dinner on the lanai of their large one-story home. The lanai was big, it ran three-quarters of the length of the house and faced the ocean. Several feet past the edge of the lanai there was a pool with a ledge in the water to sit on, and they could watch the sun rise in the morning, and then set in the evening. It was rare that the triple sliding glass doors would be closed, because the breeze was always so delightful. C.J. loved the spot on the wicker lounger. That spot was were the scents from the guava trees wafted and they calmed her whenever stress or memories would get to her.

She had come to appreciate it more since she had Jeddy two weeks ago. She would sit out there any time of day with him and nurse him, or rock and snuggle him. Kai had encouraged her to use a baby ring-sling, and once she got the hang of it, they would all go for walks on the beach or she would have him right with her while she worked in her office. When she talked to her friends back home, a couple had heard about the dramatic birth on the news, they warned her that she was spoiling him, but she didn't care. He was content to be close to her and she felt the same way. Elaine had teased that she was becoming a hippie since she moved to Hawaii, but C.J. just laughed and said, "Maybe I am." She had no idea how much she could love another person until she had Jeddy. Melissa had told her, but now she felt it in her bones.

Jeddy had dozed off, so C.J. gently scratched his leg, and crooned softly, "Hey, baby. You can't go to sleep yet. You're not finished eating. You have the other side to do."

Jeddy's head lulled away from the nipple, milk dribbling down his chin, his eyes half open. Kai laughed, "Little dude's milk drunk." Kai put a burp cloth on his shoulder then reached for him, "Come on Jeddy, let's see if Makuakāne can get a burp out of you." Jeddy started to fuss the moment he left the warmth of his mama's arms, but Kai put him up on his shoulder and began patting his back and speaking to him in Hawaiian.

C.J. used a receiving blanket to wipe her breast off, then pulled up the strap on the black camisole she was wearing. She grinned at the pair of them. Kai had a way with people, and it included newborns. He was excited to do the dad thing and wanted Jeddy to be a part of the Hawaiian culture. He even started off by burying the umbilical cord by the tree in the corner of the fenced-in yard as was custom. He was talking about the huge party they would throw for his first birthday and already had a guest list of 400 people, which was average size for a Hawaiian lā hānau mua.

After Jeddy had finished nursing, Kai took him for a diaper change and to get him nestled into his cradle, while C.J. started cleaning up the kitchen. They were finishing up the dishes when they heard the chime that meant someone had pulled into the driveway. Kai looked at the security monitor to see who was paying them a visit. This was the protocol they established from the moment they had moved into the house. Evan had set them up with a superior security system, that they needed because of Elizabeth and the threat that she posed. They always checked because they needed to know before answering the door. The figure that got out of the car made Kai angry. He growled, "Babe, look who's here."

She looked and shock, fear, sadness, and anger crossed her face all at once. "I'll handle this." She started walking to the door, stopped, and looked back at Kai, "Don't go too far." There was fear in her voice, so he nodded and stepped just inside their bedroom. As she walked to the teak double doors, she inhaled deeply, then exhaled to calm herself. It had been a long time since she had seen him. She threw open the door before the bell even rang, and asked curtly, "What are you doing here?"

Houston wasn't as surprised that she knew he was there as he was taken aback by her antagonistic tone. He had hoped that after all this time she might have softened a little towards him. But he had gotten an earful from Mama, so he should have known better. He decided to get to the point, and tenderly began, "I heard about the baby."

She wanted to be happy to see him after all this time, but she couldn't be. Not after the promises that had been broken, so she snapped, "And you wanted to put us in danger?" Then over her shoulder she called out, "Kai."

Kai's voice rang out, "I'm already on it, Babe."

Houston bristled at Kai calling her 'babe', but he pressed on, "I just wanted to see him and you. I've missed you." It wasn't until that moment, staring into her hazel eyes, that the full force of what was missing in his life had hit him. Even with her hair pulled up into a bun that was slightly askew, no makeup, wearing a black camisole and black cotton shorts, she was still as strikingly beautiful as he had ever seen her. He wanted to gather her up in his arms and hold onto her and never let go.

C.J. couldn't figure out how he knew. They had been very careful, but then again, Elizabeth had her ways. "How di-? Never mind. You need to go. If you're here, she knows and if she knows then she'll come after us." Then her tone was irritated, "You do understand that don't you?"

He shook his head, with a pleading look in his eyes, he said, "No, I told her I was coming to patch things up with Vince. She…"

As a new mom, nursing a baby every two hours, and running on little sleep, she was in no mood to deal with him. She sighed, "Just go." And she started to shut the door.

He turned to a desperate, soft, plea, "Please! I want to see him. I want to hold him."

She wasn't convinced that he was here of his own accord; that _she_ hadn't sent him. Like in his dream that he told her about so long ago. She asked pointedly, "Have they reprogrammed you?"

He was emphatic, "What? No! No, it's so, when I meet him someday…" He struggled to find the argument that would sway his old friend. "Then I can say that I met him right after he was born, and that I remember how little he once was." She started to shut the door and he began to tear up, and begged her, "Please! Please. This has been so hard on my mind. And not having my constant around has…"

The magnet inside of her began to energize, she had missed him so much, but she squashed it quickly. She studied his face, and his tears were more than she could take. She turned on her heel and went to the bedroom. He stepped across the threshold and waited. She came back out a few minutes later, with a swaddled Jeddy in her arms, followed by Kai. She hesitated and looked down at her son.

Kai went over to Houston, "Go, sit on the couch. I won't have you making a mad dash out the door with my son." Kai had grabbed his a'u ku, a native Hawaiian dagger, and tucked it in the back waistband of his jeans. If Houston tried to make off with Jeddy out the lanai, he would deal with him accordingly. He was very precise with it and knew where in the leg to stick a man so he couldn't keep running. It wouldn't be fatal, but it would hurt like hell. He then shut the door and poised himself to give chase if he needed to.

Houston's whole body tensed, and he was about to say something, but then went and sat on the couch. He wasn't going to miss out on this chance just to have the last word with Kai. She placed the sleeping Jeddy in his arms and the baby stirred a little. A tear rolled down Houston's cheek, "Hey, little guy. I'm…" He heard C.J. inhale sharply, then continued, "I'm sure glad to meet you." Then he kissed him on the forehead and held his lips there for several seconds. He reached and gently ran his fingers through Jeddy's full head of black hair, "You certainly do have a head of hair, doncha? I heard on the news you made an early entrance. I made one myself a long time ago." Then he kissed him again. Without looking up he asked, "What's his name?"

Kai responded, "Jedrick Pika Parsons-Kekoa. Jeddy for short." They chose Pika because he was born with his mom leaning on a rock.

Houston's lips pursed hard, and he shot Kai then C.J. a look. He managed, "Of course…" Then he looked back down at Jeddy. He asked, "Interesting choice of first names. How did you come up with it?" Even though deep down he knew.

Tears were rolling down C.J.'s cheeks, as she watched her former best friend rocking her child, she breathed, "That really isn't any of your concern. If…"

"Babe." Kai quickly interrupted. Their security was good, excellent in fact, but that didn't mean someone wasn't listening, and he could tell she was about to get revved up and say too much.

C.J. bit her lip as she cried. She was crying for so many reasons. All the wishes of how things could have been, should have been, if Houston had only listened to her. All of the promises broken, and the friendships, too.

The baby opened his eyes and looked into Houston's. Houston asked, "How much did he weigh?" He suddenly wanted to know everything about Jeddy.

Kai looked to C.J. but could see she was having trouble trying to answer, so his well-pleased reply was, "Our son was 18 inches long and weighed five pounds even." He added proudly, "And he had gained five ounces by his one-week checkup." He smiled at C.J., but she didn't take her eyes off of Houston holding Jeddy.

Houston's jaw quickly clinched then un-clinched before he nodded, never having broken his gaze with Jeddy. "Your Mama's feeding you well, isn't she?" Then he went back to memorizing the baby. His tiny hands with long fingers, the perfect cupid's bow on his upper lip, how light he felt in his arms, all of it.

After several minutes, C.J. looked at Kai, then nodded toward Houston. Kai took his cue and went and gently lifted the baby out of Houston's reluctant arms then took him back to their bedroom. As they looked at each other they both seemed poised to say something. C.J. broke the silence first. "You've seen him. You've held him. Now you can go," she softly directed.

Houston stood up and went to the door and opened it, but then turned back. He had to reassure her, "It's almost over. I have only one more piece left to…"

She scoffed softly, "It's always 'one more piece', isn't it? But it keeps you with…" She couldn't finish the sentence. It upset her too much. The deeply hurt look on his face didn't escape her either.

He couldn't believe what Elizabeth had done to drive a wedge between them, but in the end, he really only had himself to blame. C.J. had warned him. Roy had warned him. But he was too stubborn to believe them. Houston stepped backwards out of the door, he wanted to, again, explain the inexpiable, "C.J., it's not like that. I know I…"

She put up her hand, "Just go." Then she shut the door and locked it. She slid down the door to sit on the floor, put her head on her knees, and began to sob.


	30. Chapter 30

I want to thank everyone for all of the well wishes and the feedback on my story. It'll take me a little longer to get out the next chapter because school is starting and we have a TON of professional development and figuring out how to co-teach virtually that will take up some time. Never fear, this story never leaves me alone, so I will be writing more as soon as I can. Thanks for reading!

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1**

Sometime in the past:

C.J. was in the master bath getting sick to her stomach. When she was sure it was over, and after a quick gargle of mouthwash, she exited the bathroom to go lay down again. She only made it 2 miles into their morning run before she had to turn around. As she was walking to the bed Kai tried to hand her a box containing a pregnancy test. "What's this for?" she inquired wearily.

He grinned, "It says it right on the box." She was the smartest person he had ever met, yet when she was tired – She was still the smartest, just not the quickest. For the past week she had gotten sick to her stomach on their morning ten-mile runs. The afternoon before she had almost fainted standing up from the table at lunch. When he mentioned what had been happening to his cousin, she had jokingly said that maybe C.J. was pregnant.

C.J. nudged the box away and kept walking to lay down on the bed saying, "I think it's just my light sensitivity." That had to be it she thought as she curled into a ball laying on her side.

He crawled up the California King sized bed and laid down facing her and stroked her hair, "Hmmm, okay. Let me ask you this, when was your last period?" C.J. slowly started to do the calculations, and a look of dawning realization crossed her face. He pushed the box into her hands and she sluggishly rose from the bed and went to the bathroom. A couple of minutes later he heard the toilet flush and the water running in the sink. The water shut off, but she didn't come out. He stood up and crossed the room to peek into the enormous bathroom that was unlike anything he had ever seen in his time working construction. The person who designed and built the house was ahead of the rest of home construction for the time.

On the far end of the room it had a two-person step-down marble shower that had a volcanic glass wall with an entrance/exit at either end. Over on the opposite end, there was an extra-large picture window that overlooked a small walled off garden to separate it from the back yard. In front of the window there was a spa bathtub big enough for two. Just to the left of the window was the door that led to the lanai and pool area. There were sinks set into long marble vanities on opposite walls, and an alcove with a makeup table, that led to the his and hers walk-in closets. The end by the picture window was the room with the toilet and bidet.

He found her sitting on the floor in front of her vanity, the test stick sitting on the counter above where her head was. Without a word, he went and sat next to her. She entwined her arm and fingers with his and leaned her head on his shoulder. He looked at his watch and asked, "How long before we know?"

She sighed, "Oh, you know, a couple of minutes." Then she needed to say to him, "Kai, we didn't plan for this. If you…" He was a free spirit and she wanted to give him an out if he needed one.

He squeezed her hand, "I know we're not married, but I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere." They sat silently for several minutes, and when C.J. looked at her watch, she froze. So, Kai reached up behind him and found the stick, and brought it down to eye level. He tried to contain his glee, because in his mind, a baby was always a blessing. He handed her the stick and waited while she processed the information. He placed his hand on her tummy and reminded her, "This is a good thing, C.J."

She started to cry and let out a ragged breath, "Yeah, I'm just a little scared is all." She wanted to be happy, but a baby might attract attention from the wrong people. They hadn't been followed, as far as they could tell, for a while now, but there was always the possibility.

He ventured carefully, "Is there anyone you need to tell? Mama or Roy or…" He didn't want to say Houston's name because it had been tabooed ever since "that day". But they had been friends for such a long time, and even with the broken engagement and everything else that had happened, this might be news she'd want to share with him.

She wiped her tears away and was resolute, "I'm not telling… Anyone back on the mainland." Then she added, "Not until I have to." She smiled a little, "Mama will know the minute she sees me. But we'll have to swear her to secrecy." She thought a few more minutes. There were friends she wanted to tell, but didn't know if they might inadvertently spill the beans to people who might tell others until it got back to Houston or, worse, Elizabeth. They had found out that Carol and Elaine had wire taps on their home phones, so she didn't call them as often as she really wanted to. She finally added, "I might tell Roy; he'd like to know. But I can't be certain that they don't have his phones tapped."

Kai kissed her on the top of her head, "Let's see what my buddies can do about that." He stood up, and pulled her gently up with him. "In the meantime, we need to get you an ob/gyn and a midwife, and baby books. Apparently you can't have a baby unless you've read the books..."

She didn't really hear what he said after that. She was just so relieved that he was going to take good care of her and the baby. When he paused, even though a tear was rolling down her cheek, she smiled at him, "Thanks." Then she stretched up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sometime further in the past:

C.J. walked to the helipad wall and stood there silently fuming as she looked out at the other buildings with windows here and there lit up with other folks working late. She loved Houston with everything she was, but she hated when he let his temper get the best of him. Like the time Bo was injured by a bomb meant for Houston. At the hospital he had shouted very loudly at Vince, then he shouted for her to come because they had work to do. She understood why he was angry, but still, she didn't like being bellowed for. Today was no different, when he pushed the bar stool over in a fit of rage because she and Roy wanted to get the CIA involved. It never scared her, she knew he wouldn't ever lay a hand on her, but it hurt her deep down when he acted like that.

Houston had come up from the gym, and noticed she wasn't working at BABY, nor was she in her office. He spied her in her spot by the wall on the helipad and went and stood next to her. He knew better than to say anything. He knew his reaction to them wanting to get the CIA involved was inappropriate. He had gone down the gym to burn off some of the hurt and anger that had welled up in him from learning that Elizabeth had been playing him that whole time. He felt bad about yelling and acting out when Roy and C.J. were only trying to help. He always felt bad when he saw that look in her eyes. Especially when he was the one to cause that look. So, he waited for her to speak and when she did her question shocked him

"So, you're fine with having sex with her?" she asked flatly. It had been the thought in her head the whole time he was sketching out his plan to her and Roy.

He was taken aback, "What? C.J…" He didn't understand where this was coming from.

She looked over at him and her voice cracked a little, "Or will you be making love to her?" Even though she hated the thought of both of those scenarios, one was worse.

He hadn't even considered that when he was formulating his plan to trick Elizabeth into giving him the information he needed to bring down whoever was running this con on him. He reached over and rubbed her back, "No, honey. I won't be doing either of those things. That night, after you jumped off this helipad, and I came to you in the shower. After we made love, that next morning when I woke up my head was clear. Whatever programming they did was broken. Gone."

She shook her head a little and touched his hand, "I'm not talking about the programming. I'm talking about if you let her believe that you're still under their influence, then she's going to expect you…"

He quickly interrupted her, "That's not gonna happen. I swear." He took her hand and kissed it gently while giving her a reassuring look.

C.J. couldn't believe how naïve he was being, so she calmly elaborated, "If we had figured this out before you were going to marry her in the spring. It would be one thing, but…" In the past, his James Bond-esque attitude for making out with or bedding a woman to get information to help them with a case was one thing, but now that they were engaged to be married, she couldn't brush it off so easily. "I'm telling you, she's going to expect it, Houston. She's going to expect you to have sex with her to prove that you're still under the programming. And I'm not okay with that. I'm _really_ not."

He pulled her into an embrace and assured her, "I will figure something out and that won't happen. I promise." She nodded a little and he kissed her sweetly. He added with determination, "Now, let's figure out how to keep everyone safe while we run _our_ long con, huh?"

A week later:

C.J. had moved to Hawaii the day after Houston broke up with her, which was part of the plan. Houston wanted her at a safe distance from LA, so Elizabeth and the people she was working with wouldn't be tempted to hurt her to get her out of the way. She bumped into Kai the night she arrived. He was doing some work for Mama at the restaurant and overheard her telling the Novellis about the public way Houston had broken off their engagement. None of them had ever met Elizabeth, but after hearing what she did, they all hated her now, and they weren't happy with Houston either.

As they were cleaning and closing up for the night, C.J. had pulled Kai into the walk-in freezer and told him about their plan and asked if he could get Evan to set her up with a security system for her home and her office that she had purchased the day before on Kauai. She chose it because it wasn't on the same island that the Novelli family lived on. She didn't want them drawn into the danger any more than necessary.

He smiled, "Of course, I'll help you." Then he stepped close and offered "I could give you a cover, if you want one." He reached over and brushed her hair off of her cheek, and she knew immediately what he meant. She shook her head, and he made his case, "You know, so that the folks who'll be watching will have something juicy to report back to Elizabeth." At that moment he turned on his smolder as he stared deep into her eyes.

She shook her head and gave him a little smile, "I couldn't do that to you. To put you in danger like that."

His voice went husky, "Danger I can handle." He grinned at her.

She grinned back at him, then continued, "_And_ we have some history. Good history. And I don't want to hurt you when he solves this and I go back to him. Because that is the plan; to solve this and go back to him. I love him something fierce, and it just wouldn't be fair to you to pretend otherwise."

He really liked her and was determined to do whatever it would take to keep her safe. Having seen her night terrors first hand, he knew that this situation was just the stress that would bring them out. "Look, C.J., I really care about you and I want to help, so I promise to always keep in mind that you'll be going back to him. Okay?"

She nodded in agreement. It would be nice to have a friend close during this time, but she thought she should clarify, "You know we won't actually be…" Then she wobbled her head a bit.

He laughed and wobbled his head the same way and finished, "doin' the horizontal mambo?" She laughed a little and nodded, then he continued. "Yeah, I know. But we should make some good public displays, don'tcha think?" Kissing her again was not going to be drudge work, that was for sure.

This was the part of the plan she knew would get sticky if it went on for too long, and she truly didn't want to hurt him. She grinned a little and sighed, "They have someone outside right now." She had noticed the car following her from the airport car rental lot.

He smiled, "Then let's go give 'em a show." He took her by the hand and led her out the back door to the alley. He pulled her close, then leaned down and kissed her. She returned the kiss, tentatively at first. After a couple of minutes, she pulled back, stroked his beard and gave him a little smile, then turned around and walked back into the kitchen of the restaurant, and he followed close behind.

They both had heard the shutter of the camera that had been trained on them since they stepped out back.

%%%%%%%

A few weeks later:

C.J. was in her office, studying for the bar exam that was coming up the week after Thanksgiving. Mama was disappointed she wouldn't be joining them for the holiday, but she promised to see them at Christmas. C.J. was glad that she wouldn't have to spend the weekend lying to the people she cared about, and she was sure that Houston would have the situation resolved before Christmas anyway; New Year's at the latest. At least she hoped it would be. Until then the plan was to make it look like the move to Hawaii would be permanent and that she was going to set up shop there. Truth be told, she didn't need the money. She had made millions working with Houston Inc. and was a saver not a spender, so she could live comfortably for the rest of her days without having to work ever again. But she liked to work, she liked the mental exercise that practicing law gave her, so work she did.

As she looked over the materials, she could see that most of the laws were similar to the ones in Texas and California, but there were some nuisances that applied to Hawaii she knew she needed to get down pat before the test. Her office was a simple one in the town of Lawai. It was in a standalone, one story building of typical Hawaiian style, with only a real estate agency sharing a walkway and parking lot. It had a small reception area, with a kitchen and copier room, and a restroom. She didn't have a receptionist, but then, she didn't need one until she could start practicing anyway, so anyone keeping tabs on her wouldn't think too much about it.

Her office was smaller than what she was used to, but without a pool table, it really didn't need to be large. It had a hand carved desk, oak book cases lining the wall behind her desk, and file cabinets. All of the furniture was left by the previous tenant, but it suited C.J.'s purposes so she didn't see the need to change them.

As she was studying, she heard something fall to the floor in the reception area. She went to look and saw that a legal sized manilla envelope had been dropped through the mail slot in the locked outer door. She studied it carefully before even approaching it. It seemed innocuous enough. She could see that it only had her name on it, so it hadn't been mailed. It had a lump the size of a VHS tape in it. She hesitated a moment, then went over and gingerly picked it up and walked back into her office and shut the door. The blinds were already closed, to keep what the prying eyes could see to a minimum.

She took her letter opener and slid it down the short side of the envelope, then waited, but nothing happened. She tipped the contents out onto the green desk blotter. There was no note, only a VHS tape labeled "Reunited".

As she pondered what that meant, she heard Kai calling out, "Babe?" He opened the door to her office and looked at the envelope on the desk and the tape in her hand. "Babe, you know you should have waited for me to check that out before you opened it," he chided her gently. "Who sent it?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, but I guess now is as good a time as any to watch it."

He reached for it and went and popped it in the TV/VCR combo that was over on one of the file cabinets. As the images played across the screen, C.J.'s world changed.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The afternoon of that Thanksgiving Day:

The phone was ringing in the secured room in C.J.'s new house. One of the spare rooms, that C.J. was using as a home office, had a large walk-in closet that Evan's company converted so that she could do research and make calls to Houston if she needed to, but they kept the calls to the bare minimum. Houston promised he'd call her on Thanksgiving Day. As the phone rang, C.J. sat there staring at it and debating if she really wanted to answer it.

She finally picked up with an unenthusiastic, "Hello, Houston."

He was upbeat and cheery, "Hey, C.J. Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks for that info you sent me. The pieces are starting to come together." When she didn't respond, he added, "I love you and miss you _so_ much." The longer she was gone, the more his need to just be near her and hear her voice increased.

The images that she saw on the tape flashed through her mind. Much to her dismay, she started crying, "I miss you too." She knew she would always miss him.

Houston was feeling the same way, "Aw, honey, don't cry. We'll be together real soon."

After a long pause, she decided to get it over with, "Houston, do you have anything you need to tell me?"

He didn't even pause, "No, just that I love you and I'm getting close. There's just a couple more pieces to the puzzle then I'll be done." He knew that was far from the truth, but he wanted to give her hope that they would be together soon.

She managed to keep her tone even, "Let me be more specific. Is there anything you need to tell me about you and Elizabeth?" She wanted to give him the chance to be honest with her.

His heart skipped a beat, but then he said, "She still believes I'm under the programming…"

She cut him off, "Houston, I received a video at my office of the two of you. In bed. And I know it was recent because you were making love to her in our bed at the ranch." Then she couldn't hide the hurt, "But I guess that's wrong. It was never mine no matter what you said, was it?"

The bile rose into his throat. He felt like he was falling fast with no way to stop what was happening. "C.J., I can explain." He was going to tell her after this case wrapped up. He was going to sit her down and gently tell her what had happened. He had no idea that Elizabeth could do something so horrible. He had to keep reminding himself that the woman he thought he loved was just an illusion.

C.J. reminded him, "You promised. You…" She inhaled before continuing, "You _swore_ that you wouldn't bed her. You promised that if it came down to that, you'd call her bluff and put an end to it." She was hurt and angry that he hadn't listened to her. If he had only listened to her and gone to the CIA for help. Called Elizabeth out on her lies the moment she showed up at the office, then this all could have been avoided. But here they were.

His guilt all but choked his words, "I'm sorry. I know I promised." His mind was going a million miles a second trying to put together the words that would adequately explain his inexplicable actions.

Her tears were flowing by now, just like they had almost every hour since she had seen the tape. Kai had wanted to turn it off the moment they realized what they were seeing, but she wouldn't let him. It was a train wreck she couldn't look away from. She noted, "It hasn't even been a month." She wanted to hang up on him, but she had to let him know, "I trusted you and you _know_ how hard that is for me."

Her words cut him deeply, but in his shame all he could manage was, "I know. I really do and I'm so, _so_ sorry. It's just that I'm _so_ close to figuring it out. It… It just got out of hand, I'm sorry."

She had so many angry things she wanted to say to him, but could only say softly, "I'm not even going to ask what you were thinking in those moments before, during, or after. It doesn't matter anymore. You made your choice, and it wasn't me."

There was panic behind his adamant voice, "That's not true, C.J. What you saw wasn't about choice..."

She kept talking, so that she could say what she had known all along, "You know what they say, the detective never ends up with 'his girl Friday'; I see it now."

He tried to dissuade her, "No, C.J., I promise we will…"

She didn't want to hear anymore from him. "We were never going to end up together. I guess it's a good thing I already gave you the ring back, huh?"

He quickly saw what was about to happen, "C.J, I do love you. Please don't…"

She choked out, "Good bye, Houston."

"C.J. wait…" But a dial tone was the only response he got.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sometime in the future:

Vince was driving up the mountain road, to a remote location like Houston had asked him to do before he passed out in the passenger seat. Earlier that evening Vince received a phone call asking him to come and collect Houston from the police station. They had brought him in for being drunk and disorderly at a bar. They agreed not to book him, if Vince promised to come get him out of the drunk tank that they were holding him in. Houston had insisted on them going somewhere remote before he would tell him what was going on.

After he parked the car, Houston roused, then got out and started walking up the path, and Vince had to quickly grab the flashlight out of the glove compartment before following behind. They had walked for about ten minutes when Houston stopped and leaned against a fence rail. Then Vince leaned against the fence too and demanded, "Now will you tell me what's going on? Why the hell were you in that bar getting drunk?"

"It's simple, Vince. I was celebrating," was Houston's bleary-eyed response.

He knew that Houston had gone to visit C.J., but he doubted that he'd be doing any celebrating after seeing her with Kai and their new baby. Even though she was living with Kai, and Houston was living with Elizabeth, Vince could tell that his old friend still had feelings for C.J. So, he probed further, "Celebrating? Celebrating what?"

Houston gestured grandly, "Celebrating the first time, Vince." It wasn't how he pictured his first time would be, but he was happy and sad that it happened.

Now Vince was completely befuddled, "What first time? You're not making any sense here, pal."

Then Houston stated what he thought should have been obvious, "I'll tell ya' what I was celebrating, Vince. Tonight I held my first-born son in my arms."


End file.
